Ardbeg Distillery

In the rugged, windswept landscape of the Scottish island of Islay lies a distillery that fascinates and polarises whisky lovers around the world in equal measure: Ardbeg. With its intensely smoky, almost medicinal character, this distillery epitomises the untamed, unspoilt side of single malt Scotch. But behind the brutal power of the peat smoke lies a surprising complexity - an elegance that sets Ardbeg apart from other smoky whiskies. The history of this distillery is characterised by ups and downs, closures and resurrections, and above all by a passionate fan base that has made Ardbeg one of the most iconic whiskies in the world.

The origins: whisky from the wilderness

The official foundation of Ardbeg dates back to 1815, when John McDougall built the distillery. However, whisky was probably being distilled here illegally long before that - the remote bay near Port Ellen with its fresh spring water and abundant peat offered ideal conditions. In the 19th century, Ardbeg was one of many small distilleries on Islay that mainly produced for the local market. Even then, however, its unmistakable style was already emerging: an extremely smoky whisky created by the use of heavily peated barley and slow distillation.

Ardbeg experienced its heyday towards the end of the 19th century, when the distillery was taken over by Glasgow businessmen Thomas and John Buchanan. They modernised the plant and exported the whisky as far as America. But the 20th century brought turbulent times: World wars, economic crises and changing owners brought Ardbeg to the edge of the abyss several times.

The dark years and the rescue

The end seemed to have come in 1977: The owners at the time, Hiram Walker, ceased production. The distillery fell into disrepair and the stills rusted away. Malt was only occasionally produced - and mostly for other distilleries. But in the 1980s, a new generation of whisky enthusiasts discovered the smoky style of Islay, and Ardbeg became an insider tip among connoisseurs.

Rescue came in 1997 when the Glenmorangie Company (now part of LVMH) took over and revitalised Ardbeg. The old buildings were restored with great attention to detail and production was resumed - but with one important change: whereas previously a large proportion of production had been used for blends, the focus was now fully on single malt. This decision was to help Ardbeg to flourish again.

The unmistakable Ardbeg style

What makes the flavour of Ardbeg so special? It is the perfect balance between brutal peatiness and surprising finesse. The barley is peated with around 55 ppm (parts per million) phenol - significantly more than most Islay whiskies. However, unlike some of its competitors, Ardbeg's smoke is never one-sided or intrusive.

One key to this lies in the production: Ardbeg uses an unusually long, slender neck on the stills (the so-called "purifier pipes"), which hold back light, fruity flavours and lend the distillate more complexity. Maturation takes place mainly in bourbon casks, which lend the whisky a vanilla sweetness and harmoniously frame the peat smoke.

The result is a flavour experience that is inadequately described by "smoky". In addition to the obvious peat, a good Ardbeg also offers notes of citrus fruit, pepper, chocolate and even maritime influences - as if a drop of seawater had been added to the glass.