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Welcome to Ardeg Scottish Distillery Page on Planet Whiskies
Ardbeg Scotch Whisky Distillery was founded in 1815 and produces the range of Ardbeg Single Malts. If you would like to visits the Ardbeg Distillery Visitor Centre their address details are Ardbeg Distillery, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, PA42 7EB and contact telephone number is +44 (0)1496 302244. Click here to find out more information regarding this fine Scottish distillery.
There is also a press release direct from the distillery and you will find it in the latest news section.
On Planet Whiskies you can also buy most of the whisky produced at Ardbeg Whisky distillery by going to the Scottish Single Malt page on this website for Ardbeg Single Malts.
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More details about the Ardbeg Distillery
The below information is from the distillery itself and the contents and text has not been modified.
Other links on this website for Ardbeg
Tasting note for the Ardbeg 10 Year Old Single Islay Malt
Ardbeg Press Release -23th October 2008.
Scottish Single Malts Whiskies
Whisky fit for heroes - Lord Robertson donates his special cask of Ardbeg whisky to veterans’ charity Erskine - 6th July, 2010
About Ardbeg
Ardbeg prides itself on being the ‘Ultimate Islay Malt Whisky’. Established in 1815, Ardbeg is revered by connoisseurs around the world as the peatiest, smokiest and most complex of all the Islay malts widely available. Despite its smokiness, Ardbeg is renowned for its devilishly delicious sweetness, a phenomenon that has affectionately become known as ‘the peaty paradox’.
Ardbeg Distillery
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The Ardbeg Distillery lies on the south shore of Islay - a remote island to the west of Scotland. It is one of eight distilleries operating on the island
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After a period of decline under previous owners, production dwindled to almost nothing
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In 1997, the distillery was bought by The Glenmorangie Company who set about increasing production and restoring the distillery to its former glory
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The distillery is relatively small, with one wash still and one spirit still
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Alongside Lagavulin and Laphroaig, Ardbeg is known as one of the ‘super Islays’, with its intense flavour
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Ardbeg is the most heavily peated malt on earth, measured at 55ppm phenol
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The spirit still has a purifier on the arm of the still that allows the lighter alcohols to travel along the top of the arm while the heavier alcohols drop back into the still. The purifier is undoubtedly what gives Ardbeg its fruity, floral sweetness
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Once filled with new make spirit, Ardbeg casks rest in low stone-built buildings with earthen floors, permeated by fresh sea-air, the local climate ensuring a steady path to full peaty maturity
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The distillery is also home to the very popular Old Kiln Café and Visitor Centre which opened in 1998
Ardbeg - A Summarised History
| 1815 | Ardbeg distillery is established as a legal commercial concern as the MacDougalls obtain a production licence |
| 1887 | Output tops 250,000 gallons (1.1 million litres) a year, making Ardbeg the most productive distillery on Islay |
| 1959 | Alexander MacDougall & Co is liquidated and the Ardbeg Distillery formed, marking the end of family control and an uncertain future |
| 1977 | The distillery changes hands for the second time as Hiram Walker acquires full control |
| 1981 - 1989 | Production dwindles to nothing and the distillery closes with the loss of 18 jobs and a devastating effect on the local community |
| 1989 | Hiram Walker is bought by Allied Lyons and small-scale distilling resumes to satisfy ongoing demand for Ardbeg amongst blenders |
| 1997 | The Glenmorangie Company purchases the distillery and full-time production commences, with the first bottlings comprising 17 Years Old, 1978 Vintage and Ardbeg Provenance |
| 1998 | Ardbeg 1975 is launched and Ardbeg is voted Distillery of the Year - a remarkable turnaround in only 12 short months |
| 1999 | Production reaches 600,000 litres a year as new equipment is installed |
| 1999 - 2006 | Ardbeg single casks are hand selected and released in very limited, exclusive bottlings |
| 2000 | Ardbeg Ten Years Old is launched and The Committee is formed from |
| 2001 | Ardbeg Lord of the Isles is launched |
| 2003 | Named after the distillery’s water source, Ardbeg Uigeadail is launched. Also, the first Glenmorangie Company distillate is released to The Committee for discussion, a limited bottling of Very Young Ardbeg |
| 2004 | The Committee overwhelmingly approves the distillate, leading to the |
| 2005 | Ardbeg is established as part of the House of Glenmorangie within Moët |
| 2006 | Still Young Ardbeg is launched as the malt takes its next step on ‘the peaty path to maturity’ Ardbeg 1965 is revealed - an extremely limited release of only 261 bottles of the oldest Ardbeg ever to be released Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist is released - a limited expression drawn from rare and restricted whisky stocks, distilled and laid down in 1990 |
| 2007 | Ardbeg Almost There is bottled, the third limited release of the 1998 distillate that is progressing along ‘the peaty path to maturity’ |
| 2008 | Ardbeg Ten Years Old wins World Whisky of The Year in Jim Murray’s 2008 Whisky Bible – a big achievement indeed The Committee hurl themselves into the latest Committee bottling, Ardbeg Corryvreckan. Ardbeg Renaissance completes the peaty path to maturity in June 2008, with a full strength release of ten years old distilled in 1998. |
| 2009 | Ardbeg Uigeadail makes it a Double by winning World Whisky of The Year in Jim Murray’s 2009 Whisky Bible. A phenomenal achievement! |
Tasting note for the Ardbeg 10 Year Old Single Islay Malt can be found on this website.
You can also read more regarding Ardbeg Whiskies Distillery on the latest news page.