Ardbeg

Ardbeg: an almost untroubled story

Ardbeg is a Scottish distillery located on the island ofIslay.

It was founded in 1815 by the McDougall family. The company grew until the end of the 19th century, when it reached full capacity.

Surprisingly, it has managed to maintain its business despite the successive crises affecting the whisky world.

In 1959, Distillers Company Limited and Hiram Walker acquired a stake in the company.
Later, in 1974, Ardbeg began bringing in malt from the Port Ellen distillery to meet the growing demand for peated whisky. Malting was gradually stopped at Ardbeg. It was the end of an era at the distillery.

Then, in 1979,Hiram Walker 's Canadians became the sole owners. In 1981, the distillery was mothballed for the first time.

Having joined Allied Distillers in the meantime, she resumed production in 1989.

However, the distillery had to stop production again in 1996. It was then that Glenmorangie bought the Islay distillery and put it back on track. Indeed, the opening of a visitor center and the rebuilding of the range completely revitalized Ardbeg.

Finally, in 2004, it was acquired by LVMH, the French luxury goods giant.

Classique & Ardbeg Day ranges

Thanks to its strong fan base, Ardbeg has a well-established regular official range. These include a 10-year-old, Ten,An Oa,Uigeadail, Corryvreckan and Ardbeg Twenty Something.

However, Islay's distillery is more than just its products. An important community, theArdbeg Committee, follows the distillery's activity.

Finally, the highlight of the year is the annualArdbeg Day event. Each year, before summer arrives, a new limited edition is released for tasting at selected wine merchants. These versions are often more experimental. For 2018, it'sArdbeg Grooves. Read less