Ardbeg Distillery was first established legally with a license in 1815 by John Macdougall. In 1838, Thomas Buchanan, a Glasgow spirit merchant bought Ardbeg Distillery John Macdougall’s son, Alexander Macdougall continues to manage it. After Alexander’s death, Ardbeg was co-run by Colin Hay and Macdougall’s sisters, Margaret and Flora, who may rightfully be Scotland’s first female distillers.
Ardbeg uses the most phenolic malt in the business which comes from the village of Port Ellen. The water used comes from Loch Uigeadail which is 3 miles up the hill behind the distillery. The main casks used to mature Ardbeg whisky is first-fill and second-fill ex-bourbon casks that come from America.
Ardbeg distills twice in order to reach the required strength and desired pure spirit for their whisky. To reduce wastage, the spent grains or draff are removed from the farmer’s lorry and is taken to feed the local cattle. Due to the high phenolic content of the original malt, fermentation of yeast takes a longer time in Ardbeg compared to other distilleries.
Ardbeg 10 Years Old is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky that is revered around the world as the peatiest, smokiest, most complex single malt. Named World Whisky of the Year in 2008. This expression is bottled at 46% ABV without any chill-filtration.
TO THE EYE | Light Gold |
TO THE NOSE | A burst of intense smoky fruity peat and oceanic minerality infused with zesty lemon and lime, wrapped in waxy dark chocolate |
TO THE PALATE | An explosion of crackling peat with tangy lemon and lime juice, black pepper pops with sizzling cinnamon-spiced toffee |
TO THE END | Long and smoky with tarry espresso, aniseed, toasted almonds and traces of soft barley and fresh pear |