The location
The Ardbeg distillery is situated close to Port Ellen on the southern coast of the Scottish island Islay. Islay whiskies stand out for their smoky and medicinal character. Due to being produced so close to the ocean, iodine, and seaweed are among the most common notes of Islay whiskies.
The history of Ardbeg
The official founding date of the Ardbeg whisky distillery lies in 1815. However, the distillery had existed for a few decades before that. It is assumed that moonshiners were using the building to illegally distill spirits since 1794. After an investigation, the illegal operation was busted and the moonshiners had to leave. In 1815, John Macdougall bought the building and started to legally produce whisky under the name Ardbeg.
23 years later, the distillery was sold to the Glaswegian spirit distributor Thomas Buchanan – the whisky production stayed under the Macdougall family, however, and was led by John’s son Alexander. After Alexander’s death in 1853, the distillery was operated by Colin Hay and the Macdougall sisters Margaret and Flora, who were probably the first official female distillers in Scotland. As early as 1887, Ardbeg produced more than 1.1 million litres per year and became the most productive distillery in Islay.
The company was family-owned until 1959, after which it was taken over by Hiram Walker and operated by the Allied Distillers until 1981. This was followed by a shutdown, a re-opening and another shutdown, before the distillery was finally re-opened by McDonald in 1997. Since 2004, the company has been owned by the multinational luxury goods conglomerate LVMH.
The distillery has made quite a name for itself over the last 10 years. In 2008, the Ardbeg 10 Years whisky was awarded with the title “World Whisky of the Year” by Jim Murray in his Whisky Bible. In the following year, Ardbeg’s Uigeadail was awarded the same title.
The production of Ardbeg whisky
The water that is used to produce Ardbeg whisky comes from Loch Uigeadail and Loch Arinambeast. The malt that is used is produced in the Port Ellen malthouse and contains 56.2 ppm – making Ardbeg one of the peatiest whisky in the world. Besides a mashing tun, six fermenting vats belong to the distillery. Ardbeg whiskies are distilled twice and mature in oak casks that previously contained bourbon. Afterwards, they are bottled without chill-filtering. What’s noticeable about the Ardbeg assortment is its high alcohol volume. Only a few whiskies from the distillery are bottled with the minimum of 40%; instead, most can be found in the 46% - 58% range.
The production volume lies currently at about one million litres per year.
Special products
Only a few Ardbeg whiskies come with an age statement. Instead of being referred to by their age, most whiskies get a special name like Alligator, Galileo, Airigh Nam Beist (“pasture of the animals”), Rollercoaster or Supernova.
Ardbeg whisky at Gustero
At Gustero, we offer you a selection of excellent Ardbeg whiskies. Besides the classic Ardbeg 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, you can also find the wonderfully complex Uigeadail, which is named after the lake whose water Ardbeg uses for its production. If you’re a fan of peaty whiskies, make sure you don’t miss out on Ardbeg!
