You won’t find this with the mysterious Corryvreckan, and that’s just the way Ardbeg likes it.Īnd for those of you who do care about the packaging, there’s really nothing special here. Most other offerings in Ardbeg’s Ultimate Range collection feature age statements at the very least, and even cask selection details with information on non-chill filtering. However, you will find information confirming that your Corryvreckan is a single malt Scotch whisky from the isle of Islay, bottled at just above 57% alcohol by volume. There’s no mention of age or cask selection. It’s a lovely way to peak your interest and spark adventure without giving away too much about the actual whisky inside. The packaging is mostly comprised of legend, but nothing concrete or rooted in how the whisky is made. You’ll find in reading the details that Corryvreckan is named for a whirlpool just north of the isle of Jura, which neighbors Islay. When you pick up one of the dark green glass bottles, you’ll find dramatic and poetic words of choice, but they don’t really tell you anything. What’s in a bottle?Ĭurrent releases are kept largely a secret. Your favorite labels won’t last long and there’s always something new coming down the pipe, so enjoy it while you can and learn to roll with the punches. There are many Ardbeg enthusiasts today who aren’t happy with the Corryvrecken for replacing the Airigh Nam Beist they loved so much, but that’s generally the way it goes with small distilleries. It was an exclusive release by the committee and the earliest, tan-labeled bottles are the most valuable today. With the formation of the committee came the development of the Corryvreckan whisky. In 2000, the Ardbeg Committee formed to ensure that the Ardbeg Distillery never closed again. They’re now celebrating more than 200 years and going strong. Since then, they’ve won more awards, released more whiskies, and launched experiments related to their name.
By 1999, they had increased production to 600,000 liters per year and had won Distillery of the Year once. Production resumed with some of the first bottles containing 17-year-old whisky.įrom here, it’s relatively smooth sailing for Ardbeg as they continue to build production back up to where it was before. It remained closed until 1997 when The Glenmorangie Company bought the distillery itself. There was not enough demand to justify its operation. It was simply being distributed to other distilleries that used it for blending. It was not being produced for consumption on its own at this point. This purchase was meant to simply reopen the distillery to satisfy the demand for Ardbeg in blends. In 1987, when Allied Lyons acquired Hiram Walker, they also acquired Ardbeg along with it. The distillery closed, 18 people lost their jobs, and it had a dramatic effect on the entire local community and its economy. Unfortunately, several years later, in 1981, production slows and then stops completely. Then in 1977, Ardbeg is acquired by Hiram Walker, one of the most prominent whisky manufacturers in the world. In 1922, the Ardbeg distillery returns to its almost original owners via a purchase by the Alexander Macdougall & Co LTD entity. The image of the letter A to begin Ardbeg’s name is also registered at this time to protect the brand and the reputation it had built. Good fortune continued through 1911 when the name Ardbeg became a registered trademark. They achieved an impressive milestone in 1887 when they surpassed more than 1.1 million liters of distilled whisky per year. When Alexander Macdougall died in 1853, his sisters Margaret and Flora became Scotland’s first female distillers.
While John Macdougall’s son Alexander stayed behind to manage operations, the distillery was now under new ownership. The first major change in the Ardbeg story happened in 1838 when a spirit merchant from Glasgow bought the distillery.
From first taking out a license more than 200 years ago to the current operations of today, Ardbeg has suffered many ups and downs, including closings, limited periods of distillation, and very small batches intended mostly for blends. It’s a traditional whisky distillery nestled in the heart of Scotland and it’s whisky is as rich as its history. Ardbeg was founded in 1815 by John Macdougall on the remote Scottish isle of Islay.