Ardbeg

The Untamed Spirit of Islay

Our History

For over 200 years, Ardbeg has been made on the small, remote Scottish Isle of Islay.

The Location

The Isle of Islay lies off the west coast of Scotland and it is here that the Ardbeg Distillery, established in 1815, hugs to a small rocky inlet on the island's south coast. With its wild, rugged moors and deep, moist peat bogs Islay swirls in mists and mystery. It is home to the peatiest, smokiest single malt whisky to be found on Islay: Ardbeg.

The Passion

Few distilleries inspire as much passion as the House of Ardbeg. The unique flavor of its peaty, smoky, and surprisingly sweet single malt evokes the wild moors of its home island of Islay.

Identity

Founded in 1815, the Ardbeg distillery is revered by connoisseurs around the world as the peatiest, smokiest, and most complex of all the Islay malts, while being renowned for its delicious sweetness, a phenomenon known as “the peaty paradox”.

Regarded today as the “Ultimate Islay Malt”, Ardbeg is a distinctive whisky with a compelling history. During the 1980s and 1990s, Ardbeg suffered from an uncertain future and was purchased by “The Glenmorangie Company” in 1997. Since then, the distillery has risen a lot and today Ardbeg is well established as a niche, cult malt, with a passionate following.

In 2000, the legacy of the distillery was safeguarded by the formation of “The Committee” from thousands of Ardbeg followers keen to ensure “the doors of Ardbeg never close again”. The Ardbeg Committee now has over 100,000 members in 140 countries around the world.

A true “star” among whiskies is Ardbeg single malt, and has been awarded numerous accolades. Declared “scotch whisky of the year” three years in a row by expert Jim Murray, it was also voted “best single malt in the world” and ‘best Islay single malt’ at the World Whisky Awards in 2013 and 2014.

The Inspiration

Ardbeg is known as the “ultimate Islay malt”. Of all the Islay malt distilleries, it is Ardbeg that most encapsulates the natural aromas, tastes and the “feel” of Islay. The smell of heather-clad peat bogs, tarry rope, smoky bonfires and Atlantic winds full of salty sea spray can all be discovered in a glass of Ardbeg. Ardbeg’s dark and irreverent personality encapsulates the long history of the distillery, its Scottish provenance and the wildness of Islay.

Ardbeg’s creativity is born of these rich Islay cues and is expressed through a unique “Ardbeggian” attitude and a level of passion instilled in its fans, rare with other malt whisky brands. Every May sees the celebration of “Ardbeg Day” around the world, inspired by Islay’s Feis Ile Festival. This annual event offers fans globally the chance to join together at Committee events and celebrations, from the Islay-lympics in 2012 to the Ardbeg “Peat Football” World Cup in 2014.

Thinking Outside The Box

In October 2011, Ardbeg made history as the first whisky maturation experimentation in space. In 2014, just under three years later, a historic sample of Ardbeg spirit returned to Earth after orbiting the Earth’s atmosphere onboard the International Space Station.

Contained in a vial specially designed for its off-planet mission, this unique spirit has been part of a pioneering research experiment aiming to discover the impact gravity has on the whisky maturation process. At the same time an identical vial was housed in Warehouse 3 at the Ardbeg Distillery on Islay to act as a control sample.

It is the first study of its kind and the two samples have been reunited in a laboratory in Houston, Texas for an experiment researchers believe could change the future of whisky production.

The Untamed Spirit of Islay

Ardbeg has been called “as close to perfection as makes no difference,” by whisky connoisseurs. Proof then, that Ardbeg truly deserves its incredible reputation. It’s a whisky that’s worshipped around the world. In the past ten years, six different Ardbeg expressions have won prestigious titles including World Whisky of the Year, Scotch Whisky of the Year and World’s Best Single Malt.

Out Of The Dark and Into The Light 

Produced in small batches and released year on year, this exceptionally rare and ever-changing 19 year old draws its inspiration from Islay’s Traigh Bhan beach, known locally as the Singing Sands.

Ardbeg Traigh Bhan Batch 3 is the third release in this exclusive 19 year old series. Following in the footsteps of the batches that came before it, slight changes to cask selection mean the notes in this whisky vary from the last. Batch 3 has evolved into an overall more spicy dram. An impossibly balanced flavour profile gives rise to delicate notes of zesty lime and walnuts alongside bolder flavours of cayenne pepper and aniseed.

However, while changes to the liquid may be subtle, the story behind Batch 3 is something entirely unique...

The Worldwide, World-Famous Ardbeg Committee

It’s a quirky fact that Islay, with a population of just 3000, has more than 140 Committees, and the biggest one of all is The Ardbeg Committee, with a worldwide membership of over 120,000 and counting.

No matter how near or far, our members share a common purpose; to celebrate the re-awakening of Ardbeg, spread the word and dispense drams to those deprived of knowledge of this untamed spirit. 

Visit Us

The fastest way to take yourself to Islay is to uncork a bottle of Ardbeg. However, you can’t beat actually being at the Distillery, staying at Seaview Cottage and standing on Ardbeg’s pier, enveloped in fresh sea breeze and Ardbeg’s peaty aroma. We’d love to see you here in person. In the meantime, why not visit an Ardbeg Embassy, our spiritual homes stationed throughout the world...

The Rise and Fall and The Rise of Ardbeg

There have been many ups and downs on the long road to Ardbeg throughout the years. Ardbeg’s story is one of irrepressible spirit surviving against the odds, finally emerging as “unquestionably, the greatest distillery on Earth.”

Out Post Ardbeg

Wherever you find yourself in the world, you can be sure that you are never far from an Ardbeg Embassy. A global network of Ardbeg evangelisys have developed these outposts, either bars or retail outlets, dedicated to supporting everything and everyone Ardbeggian.

The Process- Fantastic Formulas and Potions

The most phenolic malt in the business, soft pure water from our own water source plus dedication and passion. Making Ardbeg requires a special kind of chemistry, some would say it is a combination of the process itself and the people who make it.

Malting

The malt is peated to a level of 50ppm. There have been no floor maltings at Ardbeg since 1981 so all the malt that is used in production hails from the maltings in the village of Port Ellen. At the Distillery it is crushed into a substance called grist by our iconic and extremely rare Boby malt mill, installed in 1921.

The water we use to produce Ardbeg comes from Loch Uigeadail, 3 miles up the hill behind the Distillery. The water flows down the hill and runs into Loch Airigh Nam Beist – from there the burn takes it to Charlie’s Dam at the Distillery and from there it is piped into the Mash House.

Products Ardbeg