Ardbeg whiskies

History

Whisky was already being distilled on the Ardbeg estate in the 18th century, but the MacDougall family turned it into a legal distillery at the beginning of the 19th and ran it for decades. In the 20th century it passed through several owners and, with the whisky crisis of the 1980s, closed and barely produced for more than a decade. In 1997 Glenmorangie bought it, reopened it and gradually relaunched the range as the new spirit matured. That recovery, together with eagerly awaited releases and an official club of its own, turned Ardbeg into one of the most popular distilleries on Islay.

House style

Ardbeg uses heavily peated malt, and yet its spirit isn’t coarse: a purifier on the spirit still sends the heavier vapours back and leaves an oily but fruity whisky. The style combines peat smoke, tar and sea salt with lemon, vanilla and ripe fruit. It is bottled without chill filtration and, in many versions, at high strength. Its special editions explore wine, sherry and new oak casks, but the common thread is always the tension between smoke and fruit.

Where to start

Ardbeg 10 Year Old is the benchmark: intense, smoky and fresh at the same time. If you want something friendlier, An Oa softens the smoke with a rounder style, and Wee Beastie 5 Year Old shows the young spirit. For a further step, Uigeadail adds sherry and Corryvreckan, plenty of power. It is a house for those who already enjoy smoke.

• Ardbeg 10 Year OldSingle malt · 46% ABV
• Ardbeg An OaSingle malt · 46.6% ABV
• Ardbeg UigeadailSingle malt · 54.2% ABV