The great comebacks in the world of whisky

Which distilleries have recently brought bottles back to life after a long absence?

The first one that comes to mind is Laphroaig, and the second one is Ardbeg, returning like a phoenix from the ashes. We will focus on these two classic single malts from the heart of Islay.

Laphroaig distillery

Their rich offer included various vintages of whisky bottling from us (no Age statement) to the 35-year-old version.

Today we will focus on an Laphroaig18 years old whisky, the production of which was discontinued in 2014 and its grand return took place in 2024, which means we have to wait almost 10 years to be able to enjoy its flavours again.

The flavor profile compared 1:1 is very similar, of course, accurate flavor reproduction borders on a miracle, but here they managed to do it.

Tasting notes

Longer maturation in bourbon barrels gives this Laphroaig18 years old whisky significantly more vanilla and subtle fruity complexity in addition to the oak notes. Non-chill filtered and bottled at 48% abv.

• Nose: Sweet with vanilla and toffee, as well as delicate notes of gooseberry, cooked apple and a touch of cinnamon. Then notes of freshly baked apple pie.
• Palate: Oily, sweet and fruity with orange peel and sweet nectarines, followed by herbal notes of freshly cut mint, heather honey, subtle ginger spiciness and peat notes.
• Finish: Sweet and rich with a long, spicy and smoky finish.

Ardbeg distillery

Time for the second bottle, Ardbeg 17 years old. Here, the time from the prosperous production to the return is almost 20 years. The last bottling was in 2004.

A bottle that was supposed to restore the distillery’s glory in its time and as a competitor to @lagavulinwhisky which had its 16 year old version at that time (and now, of course) this Ardbeg 17 years old whisky from the Ardbeg distillery was a kind of breakthrough bottle.

Next one was this bottle and this Ardbeg 17 years old was supposed to be the flagship, or was it? 40% abv with cold filtration, supposedly without added color and I think it shows. Bourbon barrels are probably what Ardbeg did best at that time and this unique smell, even this 40% has its “heat”.

It is ash-colored, there is a lot of wood burned in the fire, a bit of smoked meat, fruit from the court somewhere in the background makes itself known releasing a bit of sweetness, peat balances beautifully like smoke over a fire.