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Next Auction starts Friday 29 March. Bottle Deadline: 18 March.

Ardbeg 1965 Cadenhead's 23 Year Old / Mizuhashi Total Liquor Supply

Lot: 321399

Ardbeg 1965 Cadenhead's 23 Year Old / Mizuhashi Total Liquor Supply

Winning Bid: £26,000

Currency Estimate

Important: Currency exchange rates are constantly changing; this feature is to be used as a guide price only. All final transactions occur in British Pounds (£).
Lot:
Distillery: 
Ardbeg
Age: 
23 Year Old
Vintage: 
1965
Region: 
Islay
Bottler: 
Wm. Cadenhead
Cask Type: 
sherry cask
Bottled Strength: 
55%
Bottle Size: 
75cl
Distillery Status: 
Operational
product Details

Ardbeg 1965 Cadenhead's 23 Year Old / Mizuhashi Total Liquor Supply

An incredibly rare bottling of Ardbeg, distilled back in 1965 and sherry cask matured for 23 years.

This is part of series of five well-regarded cask selections by Mizuhashi Total Liquor Supply in Japan, all bottled in 1988 and 1989 by Cadenhead's. The series includes another sherry casked single malt, this time from Tamnavulin, as well an a Glendullan, Glen Ord and Glencadam. All were bottled at cask strength.

Serge Valentin of WhiskyFun loved this one, awarding it a princely 97 points, stating, "an entrancing simplicity, and one of my favourite whiskies ever."

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. The lack of demand in the period prior to this, thankfully, saw a lot of casks sold to independent bottlers, many of which have gone on to become legendary releases.

The rising demand for its product in the 1970s meant that Ardbeg was forced to stop using its own malted barley, instead buying it in from the neighbouring Port Ellen maltings. The result was a change in the style and profile of the distillery's whisky, and pre-1974 vintages such as this are incredibly sought after by connoisseurs and collectors alike.

Important Notice

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Please note: Due to the various ages of bottles and their seals, condition of liquid is at the buyer's discretion and no claim can be lodged against failure/leakage in transit.