Ardbeg Distillery

Ardbeg is the Islay malt with the cult following. It stands on the rocky south coast of the island, a couple of miles beyond Lagavulin and Laphroaig, and it makes some of the most heavily peated whisky in Scotland. It is also one of the best examples of how a distillery can fall silent and come back: Ardbeg was nearly lost in the 1980s, and today it is among the most admired names in whisky. If you want to understand the peaty end of Islay, this is the place to start.

Who owns Ardbeg?

Ardbeg is owned by LVMH, the French luxury group, through its Moët Hennessy wine and spirits division and The Glenmorangie Company. Glenmorangie bought Ardbeg in 1997, when the distillery was struggling, and LVMH took over Glenmorangie in 2004. Ardbeg is the group’s peated flagship, alongside the unpeated Highland malt Glenmorangie.

For the wider picture of which company owns which whisky, see our guide to who owns what in whisky.

The history of Ardbeg Distillery

Whisky was being made around Ardbeg long before the distillery had a name, and the official date is 1815, when John McDougall set up the business on the Kildalton coast. It grew into one of the biggest producers on Islay, with its own village around it, and its peaty malt was prized by blenders.

Demand for smoky whisky fell in the 1970s, and Ardbeg closed in 1981 and ran only on and off for the rest of the decade. It was Glenmorangie’s purchase in 1997 that put it back into steady production, and a fan club, the Ardbeg Committee, was formed around the same time and has become one of the biggest in whisky. Ardbeg also hosts a yearly open day, Ardbeg Day, during Fèis Ìle, the Islay festival. To place it against the rest of the island, read the Islay whisky boom and our beginner’s guide to Islay whisky.

How Ardbeg is made

Ardbeg makes its whisky from heavily peated malted barley, water and yeast. The malt is peated to around 55 ppm phenols, making it one of the most heavily peated whiskies in regular production, and it is supplied from the maltings at Port Ellen. Our guide to how peat works in whisky explains what the number means.

The water comes from Loch Uigeadail and Loch Arinambeast in the hills above the distillery. The spirit is distilled in copper pot stills, and the spirit still is said to have a purifier, which sends part of the vapour back for more distillation and makes the spirit lighter and fruitier than the smoke suggests. Ardbeg is matured mostly in ex-bourbon casks, with sherry and other woods used for parts of the range. For the wider context, see how whisky is made.

Why is Ardbeg smoky but not harsh?

The peat is intense, but the spirit underneath is clean, citrusy and sweet, and that contrast is what people mean when they say Ardbeg is complex. The purifier and the long maturation in refill casks tame the smoke, and the stronger releases add sherry or French oak for depth.

The Ardbeg range

The core range is built around different casks and strengths. The main expressions are:

• Ardbeg 10 Year Old (46% ABV), the benchmark: smoke, lemon and a sweet, tarry core.
• Wee Beastie (47.4% ABV), a 5 Year Old that shows the young, fiery side of the distillery.
• An Oa (46.6% ABV), softer and rounder, from a blend of casks. Read our Ardbeg An Oa review.
• Uigeadail (54.2% ABV), a bigger, sherry-influenced dram at higher strength. Read our Ardbeg Uigeadail review.
• Corryvreckan (57.1% ABV), the strongest of the core range, with French oak and a very big finish. See our guide to cask strength whisky.
• Limited releases, including the yearly Ardbeg Day bottling, which change every year.

Most of the core range carries no age statement, so our note on age statements versus NAS is worth a read. To see how Ardbeg compares with its neighbours, read Laphroaig vs Ardbeg vs Lagavulin. Our note on sherry cask versus bourbon cask explains why the casks matter so much here.

How to drink Ardbeg

Ardbeg 10 is best neat, or with a few drops of water to calm the smoke and let the lemon through. The cask strength bottlings need water. Ardbeg is also a classic float on a Penicillin, and a splash of it can make a smoky Old Fashioned. If you are new to the style, start with the 10, then try the sherried Uigeadail. Our beginner’s guide to Islay whisky suggests an order to try things in.

Visiting Ardbeg Distillery on Islay

Ardbeg is about three miles east of Port Ellen, at the end of the coast road, and it is the third of the three south-coast distilleries along the same stretch as Laphroaig and Lagavulin. A coastal path links all three with Port Ellen. The visitor centre offers tours and tastings, and the Old Kiln Café on site is a popular lunch stop. Book ahead in summer and during Fèis Ìle in late May, when Ardbeg Day takes place, and check the website for the current tour list and opening hours.

Ardbeg: quick answers