ARDBEG

Location :	Ardbeg, Port Ellen, south-earstern shore of Islay, Strathclyde Region. (North east of Laphroaig and Lagavulin.) Islay, Argyllshire.
Country :	Scotland
Region :	West Coast Islay
Distillery :	ARDBEG DISTILLERY Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, Argyll PA82 7DU (Isle of Islay PA42 7EB) Phone: +44 01496-302244 (+44 1496 302418) Fax: 01496-302040 (+44 1496 302496) Manager : Ian Henderson Visitor opening times are: September-May, open Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm. June-August, open 7 days a week, 10am-5pm. Pre-booking for tours is advisable. Please note that the Distillery closes during the Christmas holiday period. GPS: Latitude 55.6404 North - Longitude 6.1087 West
Owner :	Old owner : Hiram Walker (since the 1950s) Producer was : Allied Distillers Since 1996 same owner as Glenmorangie
Founded:	Approximate 1815 by the McDougall family. The distillery may have its origins as far back as 1794, and was definitely operating by 1817.
Water :	Lake Loch Arinambeast and its own private water source - Loch Uigeadale and Uigedale.
Remark :	The distillery have 1 wash still and 1 spirit still. They use refill casks. Michael Jackson writes : It's the earthiness of Ardbeg, its guests of peat smoke, leafy bonfires and tar, that make it the most traditional of island whiskies. They use local barley and peat from in production. From the book 'The Scottish Collection' - classic malts by Carol P. Shaw: This distillery was opened in 1815 and was one of several established near the sea in an area which was originally used by smugglers. It was bought by Hiram Walker in the 1950's primarily to use its produce in belnding; blenders use Islay malts in the way that a chef might use a strong flavour like garlic. Nearby Lochs Uigeadale and Arinambeast supply the water which, together with local peat, produces a distinctively Islay Malt. Ardbeg is operated by Allied Distillers but they do not sell its produce officially as a single malt. From the book : Malt Whisky - A contemporary Guide - By Mr. Graham Moore : Following the main A846 from Laphroaig and Lagavulin the road, barely wide enough for two cars to pass, suddenly makes a sharp right turn and you find yourself at the water's edge right in the middle of Ardbeg Distillery. The road which continues another four miles to Kildalton Church seems almost an afterthought. Ardbeg was founded by the Macdougall family in 1815, which makes it the second oldest disyillery on Islay. The area was used by a gang of smugglers whose activities were only curtailed when the Excise watchers seized a large quantity of illicit whisky, a coup which led to the break-up of the gang and the start of a ligitimate operation. The distillery was privately owned until it was taken over by Hiram Walker in 1979, but its future became uncertain when Walker's merged with Allied Vintners and it closed in 1983. It reopned in the late 1980's, although operation below capacity, was mothballed again in august 1996, and subsequently sold to the owners of Glenmorangie. Peat plays an important part in Ardbeg's flavour and in this part of Islay it is particularly good, being free of sulphur and other undesirable minerals. Until its closure the distillery was able to make all its own malt, the last distillery on Islay to be able to do so, and the kilning was done exclusively over peat fires (most distillers only kiln for part of the time over peat). With no fans in the pagodas to draw the peat smoke upwards it would diffuse slowly through the malt, infusing its reek into the grain. The mailt had to be turned regularly during the kilning to prevent it from stewing. The water too picks up its own flavour, flowing over peat and heather on its 3-mile journey to the distillery from Loch Uigeadail. Ardbeg has never worked to an enormous capacity. It has only six washbacks and a single pair of stills. Fermentation takes longer than normal, at about 60 hours, and only one type of yeast is used. The spirit still has purifier fitted. In its early days it could make only 600 gallons per week. By the time of its closure this figure had risen to an annual output of about 300.000 gallons, still way below that of most other Islay distilleries. Perhaps understandably, Ardbeg Single Malt has never been widely available and was at one time only sold in a couple of local hotels and to company shareholders. Most of its production went to blenders, although its pungency may have made its market a limited one, which in turn could have accounted for the distillery's temporary closure. It seemed that Ardbeg was destined to stay in the background of Allied Distillers' operations as a poor relation of its sister Laphroaig, with whom it shared many of its characteristics. Its acquisition by Glenmorangie gives it hope of a new lease of life.
Danish Remark :	En røget whisky med lang eftersmag. Måske lige i overkanten for begyndere, men har man 'lært' at værdsætte røg og malt så er Ardbeg bestemt et godt bud.

Ardbeg 10 years old.
Age :	10 Years old
Type :	Single Islay Malt - Scotch whisky
Vol :	40%

Ardbeg . 17 years old.
Age :	17 Years old
Vol :	40%
Type :	Single Islay Malt - Scotch whisky
Price :	100 Cls. Dkr. 319,- tax free in Whisky World Copenhagen Airport.
Nose :	The gentlest of peats, yet deep and confident with an enticing sweetness - a heady mixture of malts and vanillins. Vaguely salty and very complex with the oak present but very much in harness. Just a hint of bourbon and an even fainter hint of tangy orange to widen the spectrum.
Taste :	There is a much greater presence of peat in the taste than the nose suggests. The smokiness quickly hits the palate and then tapes off. That said, the middle shows an excellent 'chewy' malt alongside a touch of cocoa.
Finish :	The peat returns and guarantees an enormously long finale. The taste of the malt clings on and hints of liquorice and dry toast are detected. This form of oakiness continues but never becomes sappy or too dry as the peat balances this out beautifully.

Ardbeg Lord of the Isles
Age :	X Years old
Vol :	xx %
Remark :	Ardbeg Lord of the Isles (Approx 200,- Pound)

Ardbeg 20 years old.
Age :	20 Years old
Vol :	51,2%

Ardbeg 30 years old.
Age :	30 Years old
Vol :	40,0%
Remark :	Currently beeing tested. Smokey with a medium long finish. - A bit softer than vintage 1974 and the 17 years old. If you want to taste Ardbeg from the "long" strong and smokey side - we would recommend another eg the 17 yo or a vintage (from 1974 or before.)

Ardbeg Vintage 1964
Age :	? Years old
Vol :	40,?%
Type :	Single Islay Malt - Scotch whisky
Bottled by :	Gordon and Macphail.

Ardbeg Vintage 1967.
Age :	30 Years old
Vol :	49,8%
Type :	Single Islay Malt - Scotch whisky
Bottled by :	Signatory.
Remark :	If you like the taste of wood try this..

Ardbeg Vintage 1967.
Age :	28 Years old
Vol :	53,7%
Type :	Single Islay Malt - Scotch whisky

Ardbeg Vintage 1974 Connoisseurs Choice.
Age :	It's a vintage.
Vol :	40%
Type :	Single Islay Malt - Scotch whisky
Remark :	We tested a Gordon and MacPhail vintage 1974 - Yehaaa. Here you have the ultimative Islay with the longest - strongest and Islay palate of them all. Beginners : Do not try this one home alone. This bottling is absolutely one of awa's favorite vintages. From the book 'The Scottish Collection' - classic malts by Carol P. Shaw: With a dominant aroma and insistent peatiness, Ardbeg's flavour is balanced by sweeter tones. Considered the most pungent of all Scotch whiskies, it is (If you are lucky) available from independent bottlers.
Bottled by :	Gordon & MacPhail.
Price :	:( it's quite expencive 70cls approx 1.000,- dkr.

Ardbeg Vintage 1974
Age :	? Years old / Vintage !
Vol :	?%
Type :	Single Islay Malt - Scotch whisky
Remark :	Perhaps some of the last bottles available before Ardbeg stoped using floor malting. We can only pray that Ardbeg will go back into floor malting again. PLEASE !

Ardbeg Vintage 1978
Age :	21 Years old - bottled in 1999.
Vol :	43%
Type :	Single Islay Malt - Scotch whisky
Bottled by :	Gordon Macphail - Connoisseurs Choice.
Price :	Approx 650,- dkr.
Remark :	Currently beeing tested. Smokey with a long finish. - A bit more smooth than vintage 1974 (GM) and the 17 years old.

Ardbeg Cadenheads Vintage
Age :	varies
Vol :	varies
Type :	Single Islay Malt - Scotch whisky
Bottled by :	Cadenheads
Price :	Varies
Remark :	Cadenheads is a independent bottler like Gordon MacPhail and Signatory and you may be lucky to find different bottlings from Cadenheads.

LINKS..........	to official Ardbeg or related web pages.
	ARDBEG

http://www.awa.dk

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