| Ardbeg
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, Scotland PA42 7EB
Tel: +44 (0)1496 302244 / Fax: +44 (0)1496 302040
Viewer's Comments about Ardbeg
 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! |
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. |
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.
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There is a dark place on Islay, high above the Ardbeg
Distillery, called Airigh Nam Beist (pronounced `arry-nam-bayst`)
which in Gaelic means `shelter of the beast`. No more
fitting name could have been bestowed on such an eerie
place; this is where - legend has it - something other-worldly
lurks, lying in wait. So what measures can be taken
to protect local and visitor alike? If you find yourself
straying this way, then pray equip yourself with that
traditionally reliable antidote to sheer terror - the
stiff drink. A travelling man could ask for no better
protection than a hip flask full of the strong stuff,
namely Ardbeg`s Airigh Nam Beist. For it`s truly a wee
beastie of a dram - waiting to be released! |
Appearance:
Amber gold with ruby highlights.
Taste: Good sherried
body with fruity aromas.
Nose: Very soft and
rounded with fruity notes (red apple).
Finish: Warming,
powerful with some smoky notes and a gentle pepperiness.
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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 |
Colour: Rich gold.
Nose: Wood smoke
with a sweet medicinal note. Sherry hint in the background.
Body: Full uncompromising
but beautifully balanced.
Palate: Smokiness
again, smoked ham/bacon. Spicy elements - mustard
seeds. Sherry wood starts to emerge.
Finish: Ash, with
subtle medicinal hint.
Cask Type: First Fill
and Refill Sherry Casks.
Whisky Style: One
of the most powerful whiskies available - full of
smoke and rich spices. An after dinner malt to be
savoured.
~Tasting Notes by Gordon &
MacPhail
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Colour: Pale straw.
Without water:
Nose: Sweet vanilla, with a smoky edge. Medicinal
but very subtle.
Palate: TCP/medicinal
notes develop, smooth smokiness,
coating, oily
With water: Nose:
Burnt oak, morning after smouldering bonfire smoke,
vanilla (custard) and some fruity notes.
Palate: Coating,
honey, sweet toffee, smoked ham.
Body: Complex and
challenging.
Finish: Long and
very, very smooth.
Cask Type: Refill
Bourbon Barrels. Whisky Style: Strong Islay character,
mellowed by the years in the cask.
~Tasting Notes by Gordon &
MacPhail
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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. |
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| 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.
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