Ardbeg

Ardbeg's balances a combination of rich sooty/tarry smoke with a citric sweet core.

About

The name Ardbeg is an anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic An Àird Bheag, meaning "The Small Promontory". Ardbeg obtains their smoke from Port Ellen's heavy peating. Softness and acidic fruitiness come from long fermentation. An oily texture is a result of using purifier pipe in the lyne arm of the still. A recent Glenmorangie wood policy adds more roundness to their spirit.

History 

Ardbeg was founded in 1815 by the McDougall family. It grew in popularity as time passes on and became a valued landmark on Islay's southern coast by the end of the 1900s. While it was popular, the distillery was no exception to the fluctuating preference for whisky. War and economic depression in the 1920s proved to be challenging for the blended market and Ardbeg. Determined to redirect its fate, it manages to rebound and stayed afloat until the Lawson family took over, followed by DCL and Hiram Walker in 1959.

Peated whiskies are becoming popular in the 1960s and 1970s , so Ardbeg follows, much to the disappointment of the distillery's fans. Seven years later, a drop in demand for peat--and once again, Ardbeg follows.

During a year long silence in 1997, Glenmorangie saved Ardbeg. By now, Ardbeg has built a small loyal following. Thus, Glenmorangie focused on revitalizing the brand with a visitor center and invested in quality oak casks. Since February 2018, more facilities are added to increase production.

Islay Region

 This island with only 8 unique distilleries is often lashed by sea winds and rain, which most certainly influences the characteristic of the whisky produced here. It has a very flat surface that consist largely of peat, which plays a huge role on the flavour of the whiskies produced here.
The flavour of Islay whiskies are the strongest of all Scotch whiskies and are famous for their strong peaty smokiness which comes from the peat fuel which they use for malting the barley. Islay whiskies has a very strong character consisting of being very smoky and medicinal, salty and sea weedy with a dry finish and sometimes with quite a bite. If you like smoky whiskies this is definitely your go to region.

Buy a cask of Ardbeg whisky

The Single Cask has some great Ardbeg casks in our warehouses.  If you're interested in buying a cask of Ardbeg, please contact us today for a free, no obligation quote.  We can also offer a range of bottling services, making the whole process of creating your very own whisky easy.

Sell a cask of Ardbeg whisky

The Single Cask has a great history of buying and bottling single cask Ardbeg whisky.  Often we buy our casks direct from the distillery, but we are also pleased to buy Ardbeg casks from private individuals.  If you have a Ardbeg cask that you're looking to sell, please contact us today for a free, no obligation, quote on how much we could pay you for your cask.