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Ardbeg Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, Scotland PA42 7EB
Tel: +44 (0)1496 302244 / Fax: +44 (0)1496 302040
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Reputedly once the hideout of a gang of smugglers, there was a family of MacDougalls at Ardbeg since 1798, one of whom started a legal distillery in 1815. The family retained its interest in the distillery until 1977, when it was sold to Hiram Walker. Allied Distillers bought it in 1989 and sold to the present owners, Glenmorangie, in 1997.

Ardbeg Distillery's white-washed walls can be found nestling in a rocky cove on Islay's southern tip. In 2004, the Distillery was voted Visitor Attraction of the Year by readers of Whisky Magazine.

Remember to join the Ardbeg Committee, formed by thousands of Scotch whisky lovers worldwide to ensure the doors of Ardbeg never close again!

Ardbeg 10 Year Old
Single Malt Scotch

Ardbeg Uigeadail Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Color: Amber with pale gold highlights.

Nose: Big-bodied, dark and pungent, good, solid peat character and an underlay of rich lemon zest citrus, dry, but with a hint of sweetness, round with a delicate note of iodine.

Flavor: Full-bodied, earthily, smokily peaty and rich with touches of coffee/chocolate and tarry rope/creosote.

Finish:- Long, tangy and quite pungent, the citrus notes reprise, together with dark chocolate and a little seaweed.

Ardbeg Uigeadail
Single Malt Scotch

Ardbeg Uigeadail Single Malt Scotch Whisky
A fine drop of Ardbeg bottled at cask strength. A marriage of Ardbeg from bourbon barrel and sherry butt which gives a sweet and smoky finish to this malt. Uigeadail is the loch from which all Ardbeg water flows.

Nose: Sweet yet pungently smoky: lime marmalade and peat fires on the beach, malt, cocoa powder, salted herring.

Palate: Rich, concentrated and powerful. Sooty with light tarry/liquorice touches. The lime returns. Great presence but subtle in its own way.

Finish: Long. Biscuity malt.

 

Ardbeg 1990 Connoisseurs Choice Single Malt Scotch

Buy Ardbeg 1990 Connoisseurs Choice Here!  Photo Courtesy of Gordon & MacPhail

Colour: Straw Yellow

Undiluted / Nose: Creamy with medicinal notes and some malt aromas.

Palate: Peaty - birch wood and earthy flavours, some salty (driftwood) elements, turning ashy.

With water / Nose: Medicinal notes followed by sweet toffee and a bonfire smokiness.

Palate: Salty (sea tangle and driftwood), medicinal notes with some peaty flavours and hints of spices.

Body: Full.

Finish: Slightly medicinal with peaty notes.

Cask Type: First Fill and Refill Sherry Casks.

Whisky Style: A powerful whisky - full of smoke, spices and a distinct salty edge.


~Tasting Notes by Gordon & MacPhail

Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Single Malt Scotch 

Corryvreckan takes its name from the famous whirlpool that lies to the north of Islay, where only the bravest souls dare to venture. Swirling aromas and torrents of deep, peaty, peppery taste lurk beneath the surface of this beautifully balanced dram.

Like the whirlpool itself, Corryvreckan is not for the faint-hearted!

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deepest amber

Aroma: Heady, intense and powerful.

With the first sniff, encounter the deep and turbulent force of Corryvreckan as it pulls you inwards. Swirl the glass and dip your nose into the torrents of tarry ropes, creosote and linseed oil rising from deep within the vortex. As you succumb to its power, a collision of waxy dark chocolate, warm blackcurrants and muscovado sugar pulls you under its spell with a burst of plump cherries and earthy pine needles leaping from its depths.

Swirl water into the glass, and observe the magical collision of whisky and water. As the liquid warms up, the seething cauldron bubbles and bursts, as you edge closer to sniff a pot full of gutsy cayenne-peppered steak and oysters smothered in hot pepper sauce. Salty seasoning brings a briny character with tangy crisp seaweed and smoky bacon swirling on the surface with hints of sweet vanilla, spicy cloves and blueberries.

As the whirlpool narrows and quickens moving ever deeper, surrender to its dangerous depths with the heady force of menthol, treacle and chilli sauce.

Taste: Plunge into the whirlpool and taste the mysterious depths of Corryvreckan. Torrents of taste well up on the palate; deep, peppery and chewy, bombarding the tongue with its intense tastes and textures.

The first plunge brings forth chewy peppered steak soaked in pepper sauce with the tang of crispy seaweed. As you descend deeper, encounter a mouthful of black tarry espresso coffee that coats the palate with rich melted dark fruits (blackcurrants, blueberries and cherries) and bitter almonds. As the taste soaks in deeper, star anise and hickory dry out the palate before a surprise of chalky effervescent violets fizz to the surface.

Finish: Long, deep and remaining powerful into the finish with black tarry coffee, chocolate coated cherries and hot pepper sauce, the lingering memories of your mysterious and daring journey into Corryvreckan.

~Tasting Notes Courtesy of Ardbeg

Ardbeg Awards 2008

Ardbeg Ten Year Old was awarded World Whisky of 2008 and Single Malt Scotch of 2008 ~ Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2008

Both Ardbeg Uigeadail and the Beist achieved Double Gold awards at the San Fran World Spirits Competition 2008.

USA Buyers: Click Here for Full Selection of Ardbeg!

Ardbeg Distillery Tours

Established: 1815

Visitor Opening Times

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.

Getting There
From Port Ellen take the Ardbeg road, past Laphroaig and Lagavulin and turn down when you see Ardbeg's silhouette below you to the right.

Parking / Reception: Plenty of parking opposite reception. Follow the signs and once inside make your way to the Old Kiln Cafe and shop, where the tour starts. The welcome is warm and friendly and you can pass the time before your tour with tea (or coffee) and scones.

Maximium Group Size: 15

Cost: £2.00. Redeemable in the shop on any purchase over £15.

Group Bookings: Pre-booking advisable for large groups - it is possible to arrange tours outside of set times.

Enquiries: Tel: 01496 302244

Photography in Distillery: Yes

Disabled Access: No facilities - not recommended for the disabled.

Foreign Visitors: Ardbeg - The Jewel of Islay, a history of Ardbeg is available in French, German, Spanish and Italian at £5.