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Ardbeg Whisky

Ardbeg is one of the most famous whisky distilleries in the world, and for good reason. The Ardbeg distillery produces some of the finest single malt whisky around and has been doing so for centuries.

The Ardbeg distillery is located on the island of Islay, off the coast of Scotland. The distillery was founded in 1815 by John McDougall and has been in operation ever since. Ardbeg whisky is renowned for its smoky flavour, which comes from the peat that is used to smoke the barley during the whisky-making process.

Ardbeg lies solitary, in a small cove off the south coast of Islay. It was once a stage for illegal distillation when smugglers took advantage of the remote location and exceptional conditions for whisky production. Eventually, excise men seized the original, illegitimate buildings from the smugglers and destroyed them.

It was not until 1815 that a legal distillery was established and founded by John McDougall. Sitting nearby leviathan distilleries; Laphroaig and Lagavulin, Ardbeg has always produced a very sought-after single malt, despite Ardbeg's production scale being less than half that of its neighbours.

Ardbeg ran into some financial difficulties and the distillery was closed in 1981. It was not until 1989 that distillation resumed, although on a very small scale. After closing again in 1996, the owners, Allied Domecq, put the Ardbeg distillery up for sale. It was bought in 1997 by Glenmorangie Co and was, at last, restored to its former grandeur.

Ardbeg's chief watersource, Loch Uigeadail, or ‘dark and mysterious place’ in Gaelic, became the inspiration for a bottling launched in 2003 under the same name. Ardbeg Uigeadail was later Jim Murray’s 2009 World Whisky of the Year, a title held previously by Ardbeg’s ten year-old. Ardbeg has become known for its rich, peated whiskies, very easily identifiable by their fullness of body and perfect harmony of flavour.

Ardbeg was acquired by luxury giant Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy in 2005. In 2006, Stuart Thompson, who had served as the distillery manager at Ardbeg since the take-over by Glenmorangie PLC in 1997, left the distillery after working there for almost a decade. Following this, Michael "Mickey" Heads, an Islay native and former manager at Jura who had worked at Ardbeg years earlier, took over in March 2007.

Ardbeg release its peatiest expression ever in 2009, in the form of Supernova.

In 2018, construction of a new still house at the Ardbeg distillery began which will house four new stills, while the original still house is being refurbished in order to house six new washbacks. This will increase production from 1.4 million litres to 2.4 million litres.

Ardbeg Grooves

70cl, 46%

Ardbeg Grooves was released in celebration of Ardbeg Day 2018, and as ever, the Islay-based distillers have created a most intriguing expression. Part of the whisky that makes up Grooves was matured…  More info

Ardbeg Grooves
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Ardbeg Hypernova - Committee Release

70cl, 51%

Originally released exclusively to members of the Ardbeg Committee in 2022, Hypernova lays claim to being "the smokiest dram ever to mature into existence at Ardbeg". Islay whisky fans and peat heads…  More info

Ardbeg Hypernova - Committee Release

Ardbeg Kelpie - Committee Release 2017

70cl, 51.7%

It's the Committee Release of Ardbeg Kelpie, a single malt released in 2017 having been matured in casks made from virgin Black Sea oak and more traditional bourbon casks. The Committee Release is…  More info

Ardbeg Kelpie - Committee Release 2017
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Ardbeg Kildalton 2014

70cl, 46%

Ardbeg! Yum yum yum yum yum... The limited edition Ardbeg Kildalton 2014 is matured in ex-bourbon and ex-Sherry casks and bottled at 46% ABV with no chill-filtration. Fun fact! If the name Ardbeg…  More info

Ardbeg Kildalton 2014
2

Ardbeg Lord Robertson of Port Ellen

70cl, 53%

One of the rarest things ever to be, Ardbeg's stunning cask 1217 was especially laid down for Lord Robertson's (NATO Secretary General, born on Islay) charity project Erskine, which provides nursing…  More info

Ardbeg Lord Robertson of Port Ellen

Ardbeg Mor 10 Year Old

450cl, 46%

The moniker 'Mór' is Scotch Gaelic for 'Big', rather apt as this 10 year old from the Ardbeg distillery comes in a 4.5 litre bottle. A limited release.  More info

Ardbeg Mor 10 Year Old
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Ardbeg Perpetuum

70cl, 47.4%

In 1815, the Ardbeg distillery was founded by John McDougall on the Isle of Islay. In 2015, Ardbeg Perpetuum was released during Fèis Ìle 2015 in celebration of their 200th anniversary. Dr. Bill…  More info

Ardbeg Perpetuum
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Ardbeg Perpetuum - Bicentenary Committee Release

70cl, 49.2%

The Ardbeg Committee edition of the distillery's bicentennial release - Perpetuum. Originally only available from the distillery itself! An accomplished blend of both young and old stock. This…  More info

Ardbeg Perpetuum - Bicentenary Committee Release

Ardbeg Renaissance 10 Year Old

70cl, 55.9%

From a recently released Ardbeg range showcasing the affects of maturation on 1998-distilled whisky. Starting from Very Young through Still Young and Almost There, Renaissance is the conclusion with…  More info

Ardbeg Renaissance 10 Year Old
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Ardbeg Rollercoaster - Committee Reserve

70cl, 57.3%

On the 15th February 2010, the release of Ardbeg Rollercoaster was met with palpable excitement. The 50,000 Committee Members were keen to get their hands on the 15,000 bottles and apparently the…  More info

Ardbeg Rollercoaster - Committee Reserve
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Ardbeg Scorch

70cl, 46%

Islay's Ardbeg Distillery has gone and aged bottled up some excellent single malt which has been matured in its most heavily charred casks, and appropriately dubbed it Ardbeg Scorch! Almost makes you…  More info

Ardbeg Scorch
2

Ardbeg Smoketrails - Manzanilla Edition (1L)

100cl, 46%

Originally a Duty Free and distillery exclusive, Ardbeg's Smoketrails explores the influence of different casks from around the world on the classic Islay single malt. This edition sees a helping of…  More info

Ardbeg Smoketrails - Manzanilla Edition (1L)

Ardbeg Still Young

70cl, 56.2%

Part of a range from Ardbeg exhibiting the affects of age on their wonderful single malt whisky. Still Young represents the second stage, aged for 8 years. This bottle was part of a private…  More info

Ardbeg Still Young
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Ardbeg Supernova (2009 Stellar Release)

70cl, 58.9%

The most heavily peated Ardbeg ever released. In our humble opinion, this is the best of the heavily peated whiskies available today. Top tip - this whisky makes a lot more sense if you 'build up' to…  More info

Ardbeg Supernova (2009 Stellar Release)
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Ardbeg Supernova - Advance Committee Release

70cl, 58.9%

The first ever Ardbeg Supernova, and Ardbeg's initial go at producing super peaty whisky! This was created specially for the Ardbeg Committee, and when we first tasted it we couldn't believe how…  More info

Ardbeg Supernova - Advance Committee Release
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Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year Old - Batch 1

70cl, 46.2%

Released in 2019, Ardbeg's Traigh Bhan is a 19 year old expression named after the local Traigh Bhan beach on Islay, sometimes known as the Singing Sands. The first core expression from Ardbeg in 20…  More info

Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year Old - Batch 1
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Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year Old - Batch 4

70cl, 46.2%

The fourth batch of Ardbeg's Traigh Bhan 19 Year Old single malt, which like each edition before it, takes some of the Islay distiller's finest whisky from a combo of American oak and oloroso sherry…  More info

Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year Old - Batch 4
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Ardbeg Young Uigeadail - Committee Release

70cl, 59.9%

A super rare and nigh on impossible to find bottling from the Ardbeg Committee. This is the prequel to Uigeadail, named the Young Uigeadail, or "Oogling". It is a slightly younger version, made with…  More info

Ardbeg Young Uigeadail - Committee Release

Darkness! Ardbeg 23 Year Old Oloroso Cask Finish

50cl, 49.1%

Peat and Sherry is a combination that not everybody loves, but when it works... Wow. Also, if you subscribe to the formula 'one yummy thing + another yummy thing = a super yummy thing!' then this may…  More info

Darkness! Ardbeg 23 Year Old Oloroso Cask Finish
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Serendipity 12 Year Old

70cl, 40%

Once upon a time at the Glenmorangie bottling plant, very well-aged Ardbeg was accidentally mixed with some young Glen Moray, oops! The result is this rare bottle with a great story behind it, the…  More info

Serendipity 12 Year Old
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SMWS 33.136 10 Year Old 2008

70cl, 51.7%

An incredible indie Islay here, distilled by the legendary Ardbeg Distillery! This one was set aside to slumber in a first-fill ex-bourbon cask in 2008, and slumber it did for ten years, before it…  More info

SMWS 33.136 10 Year Old 2008

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