About this SPIRIT
Ardbeg Distillery, Islay
The origins of Ardbeg (which in Gaelic means small headland) Distillery date as far back as 1794. John MacDougall established the present distillery on the south coast of Islay in 1815 and it was fully operational by 1817. The MacDougall family retained ownership until 1977 when Hiram Walker gained control. However, with most of its output used in blending, Ardbeg struggled to remain viable during the economic downturn of the 1970s, resulting in it being run on a care and maintenance basis from 1983. The distillery closed in July 1996, only to reopen in 1997.
Ardbeg maintains the robust and earthy aromas associated with Islay malts. Described as having a hefty bite and a rich finish, flavours detected include peat smoke, seaweed, sawdust and iodine.
Glenmorangie Plc bought the distillery in 1997. The new owners revived the tradition of producing a very peaty single malt. All the production is sold as single malt (which is rather unusual in the world of whisky). In 2019, a new still house was built to keep up with the increasing demand for this single malt. However, due to the Covid pandemic, it wasn’t opened until March 2021. Ardbeg is now the third most important Islay malt, with a range of limited releases showing its constant experimentation.
Islay Whisky
The whisky region of Islay (pronounced eye-la) is arguably the most important 200 or so square miles in the whisky world. On the face of it Islay just another island of the Inner Hebrides. It lies in Argyll just to the west of Jura and around 25 miles north of the Irish coast, which can be seen on a clear day.
The island's fame as far as whisky goes is due to the 8 distilleries currently in production and the vast tracts of peat that cover most of the island's surface. The whisky distilleries are: Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman (this is the newest distillery on the island which started producing spirit in 2005), Lagavulinand Laphroaig.
The 8 distilleries with whisky for sale can be divided up, depending on the amount of peat used. The `big 3' are Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig who all produce powerful smoke laden whiskies. The new malt produced by Kilchoman is also very powerful indeed.
Occupying the middle ground are Bowmore and Caol Ila. The whiskies produced at Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain are in peat terms at least, the lightest.
There were more distilleries in the past: Port Ellen closed in 1983 while the Lochindaal at Port Charlotte closed in1929. The buildings at Port Ellen are however still in use, it is here that malted barley for the island's distilleries is produced.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
A first for Ardbeg, this whisky has been matured in highly sought-after port wine casks and then married with classic bourbon barrels, creating an extraordinarily smoky and balanced Ardbeg dram that imparts all manner of peculiar notes and aromas. This is devilish sweet meets smoky peat!
Sunset Orange colour. Curiously perfumed and aromatic, with lovely fragrant top notes like lavender, vetiver, and incense candle sticks. Underneath this are some deeper notes, a touch of leather, some almond nuttiness, and a touch of wax. A splash of water opens up the bouquet, revealing touches of woodsmoke, damp peat moss, a hint of menthol, and more antique leather.
The mouthfeel is salty but viscous at the same time. It leads into a burst of huge, salty, savoury, smoky flavours- eucalyptus oil, salted caramel toffee, smoked pecan, nuts, fragrant woodsmoke, creosote and tar. There is also a background sweetness, like a smoky pear crumble and fudge. Finally, on the long lingering aftertaste, more leather, salted caramel and a cooling menthol sensation.
spirit at a glance
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