2006 Islay's Finest (Ardbeg) 19 Year Old "Old Particular" K&L Exclusive Single Hogsheads Cask Strength Single Refill Butt Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Few spirits in Scotland are rarer than those from the two tightly controlled distilleries on Islay's southern coast. Over the years, we have occasionally offered both named and unnamed versions of this special spirit, but every time we do there is a feeling that it might be the last. These stocks almost never appear on the independent market, and true single casks are rarer still. What has never been surprising is the outrageous cost they command. Our last named Ardbeg single cask was a Chieftain's barrel, 15 years old and priced at $240. Before that, only a tiny handful of Ardbeg single casks had been made available to us over many, many years. So when we saw the magic word "Kildalton" on this sample, we assumed it had to be something unusual or off-profile. Perhaps an unpeated version, or maybe a teaspooned blend. Not this time. This exudes that beautiful, ashy white smoke we know and love from the masters at the end of the road on Islay's south shore. Distilled on October 31, 2006, it was filled into a refill butt and aged for nearly 20 years before being bottled at full cask strength of 52.7%, without chillfiltration. Very few barrels at this quality to price ratio have ever existed and while we'd welcome many more like it, its unlikely that these sorts of stocks will become a regular feature of our selection.