Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Kildalton 19 Years (2024) - Living Souls
A whisky from Islay, a blended malt with Ardbeg roots, matured for a full 19 years - you'd expect a massive smoke bomb with a good dose of character. And that's exactly what the Kildalton Release 2024 from Living Souls delivers - but with an unexpected depth and a good pinch of surprise.
The panel
Mean 84.0 · spread 4
Value for money 3/5
- Distillery
- Ardbeg
- Bottler
- Living Souls
- Type
- Blended Malt Whisky
- Region
- Isle of Islay
- Country
- Scotland
- Age
- 19 years
- Strength
- 42% ABV
- Character
- peaty
Tasting
Nose
As soon as you raise the glass, you know: There's a fire here. Wisps of bacon smoke, barbecue charcoal, liquorice and espresso fill the nose. These are joined by pulled pork, honey and a hint of coniferous wood. An intense, yet harmonious flavour.
Palate
The palate continues just as powerfully: warm embers, earthy tones, honey-bacon and dark cherries. The combination of sweet smoke and red fruit is simply brilliant. This is joined by salty olives, a strong peaty note and a pleasant spiciness that rounds off the flavour. The 42% alcohol is well integrated and ensures a full-bodied, warm mouthfeel.
Finish
The finish is long and voluminous, but still pleasantly soft. Sweet oak, liquorice and a hint of tobacco linger as the smoke slowly evaporates. Not a brutal finish, but one with style - smoky, sweet and with just the right amount of spice.
Verdicts
Marcel
This Kildalton 2024 brings together the smoky Islay power with a surprisingly sweet, almost gentle side – a true pleasure that leaves you wanting more. For fans of character and drinkability, it’s a bullseye, delivering aromas of honey, bacon, and dark fruit that simply make it fun to enjoy.
Sascha
The Kildalton Release 2024 impresses with its balanced interplay between intense peat smoke and sweet, fruity nuances, all wrapped in a complex, harmonious structure. The 19 years of maturation give it a pleasant depth and a long-lasting, elegant finish that is technically perfectly tuned.
What it is worth
We do not yet hold bottle-level auction results — that sits behind Whisky Hunter’s authenticated feed. What follows is the market for Ardbeg as a whole, which sets the weather for this bottling without pricing it.
Latest mean bid £218 across 1,142 lots · 2024-08