CELEBRATE WORLD WHISKY DAY 2017

Raise a dram with the world!

World Whisky Day is a global celebration of the water of life, so join like-minded friends across the globe as we share a dram together on Saturday, 20 May. If you’re looking for dram suggestions that don’t cost the earth, we have 50 unique single cask whiskies priced £60 and under available online now. We’ve hand-picked some colourful characters for inspiration.

Keep up to date with the day’s festivities on Twitter using the hashtag #WorldWhiskyDay

VIEW EVENTS

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

MAY AUCTION NOW LIVE (ends Sunday 28^th May)

…place your bids at www.whiskyhammer.co.uk

With an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits there is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest, enjoy!

Springbank Society

Hope you are all well and that the weather where you are has been as nice as it has been in Campbeltown.

The moment we have all been waiting for is nearly upon us. The next Society bottle is nearly available… but not quite yet.

There are still a few days to go, however, I am pleased to be able to finally give you all some information about it. I know you have been waiting a while.

This newsletter is quite information heavy so please take your time to read it through, nothing here requires any of you to do anything immediately. I will give you all the information you need to purchase the new Society bottle throughout this email and most of it will be repeated when the bottle is officially released early next week.

Some members have requested that we send out a newsletter prior to the bottle being officially released to allow people to be “on the lookout” for the bottle rather than it suddenly being released with no warning at all. I agreed that this was a fairer way to release Society bottlings so this is why you are receiving an email today.

Springbank Society May 2017 Bottling

Springbank 9yo Sauternes

Springbank 9 years old

Cask type: Fresh Sauternes Hogsheads

Distilled: November 2007

Bottled: May 2017

Strength: 57.1%

Approximately 1100 bottles

Tasting notes: 

Nose: Dunnage warehouse; bruised fruits, sun dried raisins and treacle toffee with icing sugar and port notes appearing as the nose develops.

Taste: Syrupy texture, with earthy and oaky notes, prunes, redcurrants and bramble jam.

Finish: Chewy, sweet and rich like sticky toffee pudding and christmas cake; hints of treacle, brown sugar and dark cherries.

Let me be clear: the bottles are not available just yet and I will not be taking pre-orders.

Purchasing and delivery/collection

Please read this section carefully as it will make the whole process go as smoothly as possible.

In this section I shall explain some of the rules and procedures regarding purchasing a Society bottle. This will all be included again in the forthcoming email next week.

The bottle shall be available for £45.00 and initially it will be 1 per person however, once it becomes clear what the level of interest is, then it is possible you could get a second. 2 bottles per member will be the maximum, though. When you order a bottle next week, please state if you would be interested in a second bottle.

I will only be taking orders by email.  

I repeat, I will only be taking orders by email. 

When you first order a bottle, please tell me if any of the following things apply to you.

• If you would like a second bottle
• If you would like to collect it during the Campbeltown Malts Festival (very important)
• If you would like to collect it from one of our Cadenhead shops
• If you are based in Canada
• If you have any other delivery preferences (not covered by the points above) then it may be helpful, but not essential, if you would include them in your original email too.

Once you place your order you will receive an email back, letting you know that your order has been received and that a bottle has been reserved for you. As is usual with a Society release, this may take several days. Please do not be alarmed if you do not hear back immediately.

As I am sure you are all aware, this bottle is being released in close proximity to the Campbeltown Malts Festival. We could have waited until after the festival but that would have meant that people at the Festival could not collect their bottles so we have done our best to accommodate our guests.

As such, in the immediate aftermath of the release, we shall be prioritising orders for members who are attending the festival. These members can pay upon collection in the Campbeltown shop if they wish. After those orders have been arranged, then we shall begin to make contact with everyone else to arrange payment and delivery, where appropriate. This is where you will hear if you can receive a second bottle.

Due to the nature of this process, and the Malts Festival, it is likely that Monday 29th May will be the first day we can arrange for bottles to be shipped from Campbeltown to their destination.

Again, as is standard practice with Society bottles, if you wish for your Society bottle(s) to be sent to a Cadenhead shop on mainland Europe (Odense, Berlin, Cologne, Salzburg) you will pay for them upon collection. We have processes in place to make sure these bottles arrive much faster than they have done for previous releases.

If you plan to have your Society bottle(s) sent to the Edinburgh or London shops then there will be a slight change to the process when compared to previous releases. This time, deliveries to these shops will be handled in a similar way to when Society bottles are sent to the other Cadenhead shops. Instead of charging £2 per bottle and delivering them individually, we will not charge anything for delivery and they will be sent as part of the scheduled Cadenhead shipments.

New Addition to the Team

Because the Society is now so big and this is the largest number of bottles we have ever done, it is now no longer practical for it all to be done by one person. As such, from now on my colleague Lauren Anderson will also be on hand to answer your emails and process your orders. Lauren has worked for the company for 4 years, first in the bottling hall and has now moved to join us in the office. She is also the expert when it comes to packaging and dispatching your Society bottles. Hopefully, this will mean the process moves a little faster.

Campbeltown Cadenhead Shop

The staff in the Cadenhead shop here in Campbeltown have asked me to pass on a message to you all. If you plan on collecting any bottles from the shop during the Malts Festival, please get in touch with the shop as soon as you possibly can and let them know. This goes for ANY bottles, whether they are Society bottles, Springbank Distillery releases, Kilkerran bottles or anything from the extensive Cadenhead range. You can contact them using the details below:

T: +44 (0)1586 551710

E: shop@cadenhead.scot

Please give them as much notice and information as possible. Thank you.

WeChat

In addition to our existing social media platforms (you can find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) we are now pleased to say we are on WeChat.

Name: Springbank Distillers

WeChat ID: SpringbankWhisky

Find us there and add us to see our posts.

I think that’s everything – like I said above, you will be hearing from me in the early part of next week when the bottle is officially released…

and then the madness begins!

Slainte

Nathan and Lauren

Nathan Currie

for the Springbank Society. Please contact Nathan to join the Springbank Society.

Just over 1 week until the festival, how has that happened?

I’m sure I’ll be speaking to quite a few of you over that week, that’s the best part of the festival for me – meeting the faces to all your email addresses.

But before all that, I am delighted to be writing to tell you all about a couple of releases from Springbank Distillery.

We’ll start with the Longrow…. 

Longrow Red: 13yo Malbec (51.3%) 

This Longrow Red spent 12 years in Bourbon Casks and 15 months in Malbec Casks and there are approximately 9000 bottles available worldwide. 

Nose: A very coastal beginning; sea salt with a fresh breeze, then becomes fruity; sweet cocktail cherries, blackberries and red currants. A faint and subtle note of cigar boxes and tobacco comes through.

Palate: The fruitiness continues with rhubarb crumble, stewed apples and juicy plums. Current ham follows with a very soft and delicate touch of peat with more coastal sea salt notes.

Finish: Red wine tannins dominate, combined with smouldering campfire smoke and the ver present fresh fruit notes of prunes and cherries. 

The RRP is around £55.00 and the Society discount is applicable so you guys can get 10% off the price when you buy a bottle at one of our Cadenhead shops (at the shops’ discretion).

Longrow Red 13yo Malbec is available in the Campbeltown Cadenhead shop from today and the rest of the UK this week. Other markets will vary throughout the coming weeks – please contact your local retailers and stockists for more information, details of which can be found on then Springbank website. 

Need to know

This is not a Society bottle.

This is considered a core product and as such the Society discount does apply.

I will not be taking orders for this bottle as I am not aware of any shop’s stock or allocation.

Springbank 21yo (46%) 

Our newest 21yo was matured in Bourbon, Sherry, Port and Rum casks and there are approximately 3,800 bottles available worldwide. 

Nose; Sweet with coastal undertones while the rum cask influence introduces dried tropical fruit including banana, coconut shavings and Demerara sugar.  

Palate; Gentle and refined; Molasses and apricots combine well with cured meats, tobacco leaf and old leather. 

Finish; The long gentle finish reveals Caribbean jerk seasoning with cayenne pepper, cinnamon and black peppercorn present against a background of soft smoky embers. 

The RRP for this one is £186.00 and, in keeping with what has happened in previous years, there will be a £10.00 discount for members meaning you will pay £176.00.

Springbank 21yo is available in the Campbeltown Cadenhead shop from today and the rest of the UK this week. Other markets will vary throughout the coming weeks – please contact your local retailers and stockists for more information, details of whom can be found by visiting www.springbankwhisky.com/distributors. 

Need to Know

This is not a Society bottle.

There will a £10.00 discount for Society members.

I will not be taking orders for this bottle as I am not aware of any shop’s stock or allocation. 

Bottle shots for both products are attached, I suspect you will want a little glimpse.

Once again, these bottlings are available in the Campbeltown Cadenhead shop from today and the rest of the UK this week. Other markets will vary throughout the coming weeks – please contact your local retailers and stockists for more information, details of whom can be found by visiting www.springbankwhisky.com/distributors. 

And lastly, in addition to the Springbank Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, I am pleased to say that Springbank Distillery is now on WeChat.

Name: Springbank Distillers

WeChat ID: SpringbankWhisky 

Hope to speak to a few of you on WeChat! 

Until next time,

Slainte  

Nathan 

Nathan Currie

For the Springbank Society

The Great Whisky Debate PART 1

Step aside Mr Dimbleby, its time to talk Whisky. Guests on our expert panel are

Colin Dunn– Whisky ambassador, Diaggeo

Duncan Ross  – “A walking Whisky encyclopedia”

Edward Bates – Multifaceted Whisky aficionado and skilled writer.

Milroy’s very own  GM Patrick will play host and intermediate between guests and the panel. Guests will send in their questions and we will pick the very best to put forward to the experts for debate. Audience participation is the key, anything goes.

Guests will enjoy a welcome cocktail and 4 whiskies served throughout the evening. Not your average question time.  The event will be held at Milroys Of Soho on the evening of 26th June at 6.30PM.

Just Whisky Auction Live Now – 42^nd Auction

Ends 21^st May from 8pm UK Time

This is a quick heads up to let you know the latest Just Whisky Auction is now Live! We’re really excited to bring you some of the most collectable and interesting bottles around, including new releases from Glenfarclas, Glenfiddich, Karuizawa, Ledaig and many more.

Some Highlights & New Releases: Craigellachie 31 yo, Johnnie Walker 1920’s Edition, Caol Ila 32yo, Glenfarclas 2007 Distillery Exclusive, Karuizawa Monyou Edition (Sherry & Bourbon), Glenfiddich Hand Fill, Macallan Easter Elchies, Ardbeg Provenance, Glenfarclas-Glenlivet 8yo, Glenfarclas 15 Battle Vimy Ridge, Bowmore 1964, Ledaig 42yo, Dallas Dhu 1979, Macallan 18yo Gran Reserva,

Check out the full auction here!

http://www.just-whisky.co.uk/

There Will Be Whiskies Galore! At The Electric This May

The Birmingham Whisky Club has teamed up with The Lost Distillery Company (TLDC) to present an exclusive ‘taste-along’ screening of the remake of ‘Whisky Galore!’ ahead of its official release.

Held at the UK’s oldest working cinema, The Electric, the evening will be one of the first public screenings of the film and will be brought to life by TLDC’s lost whisky legends.

The remake of the 1949 film, ‘Whisky Galore!’, is an adaptation of the book by Compton MacKenzie, and is inspired by the sinking of the cargo ship SS Politician off Eriskay in 1941. The film, which premiered at the 70^th Edinburgh International Film Festival last year, features a star-studded cast including Eddie Izzard, James Cosmo, Kevin Guthrie, Ellie Kendrick and Sean Biggerstaff amongst others.

Ewan Henderson, Global Brand Ambassador for TLDC, will enhance the screening with a tasting of three whiskies from the brand’s award-winning range, served at key points during the film. Offering a modern interpretation of Peter Dawson’s historic whisky, which sank with the SS Politician, the Towiemore expression will give the audience a unique insight into how the whisky in the film would have tasted.

As well as showing the film before it’s general UK release date on Friday 19th May, film fans will get a unique opportunity to get ‘behind the scenes’ as director of the film, Gillies MacKinnon, will be on hand to host an exclusive Q&A session at the end of the screening.

Scott Watson, Co-Founder of The Lost Distillery Company said: “We are really excited to be working with The Birmingham Whisky Club to provide unique drams that will truly enhance the Whisky Galore! Story.

“We’re obsessive about craft and uncompromising when it comes to whisky quality. Each resurrected brand is the subject of an in-depth research project to establish the original character of the long lost distilleries and pay homage to each whisky’s heritage.”

Amy Seton, Owner of The Birmingham Whisky Club said: “We are delighted to be working with Arrow Films and The Lost Distillery Company to bring the story of ‘Whisky Galore!’ alive by giving guests the chance to learn about (and taste) the drams behind the story.

“As ever, we’re looking forward to being back at The Electric Cinema, which will provide the perfect backdrop for this unique, preview ‘taste-along’ event.”

The exclusive screening and tasting will be held on Tuesday 16^th May 2017 at 7.30pm at The Electric Cinema, Birmingham. Tickets can be purchased here. Prices start at £19.50 and include a seat for the screening and the ‘taste-along’ experience.

TLDC’s ever-expanding collection features three ranges of blended malt Scotch whiskies from mature to very old – Classic, Archivist and Vintage. These include modern day interpretations of spirits from lost distilleries such as Auchnagie, Stratheden, Towiemore, Jericho, Gerston and Lossit.

The Birmingham Whisky Club runs ‘dram-actically’ different events with whisk(e)y from all around the world for whisky lovers old and new. The event will be the club’s fourth film-based whisky tasting event.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

ENDS For information about The Birmingham Whisky Club please visit www.thebirminghamwhiskyclub.co.uk or contact Amy Seton on 07966 266511 or email Vicky@birminghamwhiskyclub.co.uk. About The Birmingham Whisky Club The Birmingham Whisky Club is Birmingham’s only dedicated whisky tasting events company. We offer a diverse range of tutored tastings and whisky-themed events in and around Birmingham, including themed and rare whisky night’s, events with distilleries, whisky and food matching, and private and corporate events. We welcome everyone, from complete beginners to the more hardened whisky buff. Visit our webpage www.thebirminghamwhiskyclub.co.uk or find us on Facebook.

The Lost Distillery Company is owned by Crucial Drinks, a boutique drinks business based at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland specialising in world-class whisky and rum. Its award-winning portfolio of luxury spirit brands also includes Six Saints Rum and West Indies Rum and Cane Merchants.

More information on The Lost Distillery Company can be found at www.lost-distillery.com

More information on The Birmingham Whisky Club can be found at thebirminghamwhiskyclub.co.uk

More information on The Electric can be found at www.theelectric.co.uk

Capture your own moment in timeInspired by Steven Klein’s artwork and the whisky itself, The Macallan now offers you the chance to create your own extraordinary moment in time.

Capture a location anywhere in the world, tell us why you’ve chosen it, and you could experience The Masters of Photography: Steven Klein Edition whisky for yourself as well as a trip to your chosen location with a guest of your choice.

Prize may vary based on country of residence.

Please see Terms and Conditions of entry.

EXPLORE THE WHISKY

ENTER TIME CAPTURED

Worldwide success for Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival as it welcomes 37 different countries to the party

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival continues to grow as a global phenomenon with visitors from dozens of international destinations taking part in the five-day celebration of Scotland’s national drink.

As the curtain fell on the 2017 event, organisers have revealed that bookings came from a total of 37 different countries around the world, making it one of the best on record in terms of international festival-goers.

Visitors from key markets including Europe and North America came in large numbers, but were joined by whisky fans from nations including Venezuela, Korea and Japan.

Data about the Festival, which came to a close yesterday (Monday, May 1), will be analysed over the coming weeks but organisers are confident that it will be one of the best attended on record. It follows a record breaking start to ticket sales in February, when 85 events were sold out in the first 24 hours and £99,000 worth of tickets were sold in just 60 minutes.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, which has been taking place over the May Day bank holiday weekend for the past 18 years, comprised almost 500 events right across the region – recognised as the spiritual home of Scotch whisky due to the high concentration of distilleries.

Festival chairman James Campbell says, “It has been an incredibly busy five days on Speyside and the feedback we have received from visitors has been phenomenal. Newcomers have told us they cannot believe the scale and variety of the Festival, while repeat visitors have said they have been spoiled for choice in terms of the quality of events on the programme.

“We will spend the next few weeks looking at all the data and information to see where we go for next year. It is clear that our international markets are becoming ever more important, and next year we aim to really focus on growing those.

“For the first time this year we launched a series of international judging sessions for our popular Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Whisky Awards, with panels taking place in the Netherlands, Canada and Germany. We aim to stage even more judging sessions overseas in 2018.”

Festival manager Pery Zakeri adds, “It really has been a fantastic few days and we could not have wished for a better Festival. People now know that if they want to truly connect with Speyside whisky and have unique opportunities to meet the people who are involved in its production, then the Festival is the place to do it.”

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival was supported by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s director of events, says, “I am delighted to see so many people have travelled from around the world to attend the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. Each year this wonderful Festival goes from strength to strength, continuing to develop its programme with new and innovative events for its ever growing audience.

“EventScotland is delighted to have supported the Festival, which is the perfect stage for celebrating our national drink.” 

The next major milestone for the organising team will be staging the second edition of the Festival offshoot, Spirit of Speyside: Distilled. The event, which brings together the region’s whisky, gin, beer and food producers under one roof, took place for the first time last autumn and was very warmly received.

Visitors will be able to enjoy samples of local products, meet key faces from the food and drink industry and take part in masterclasses on a range of different topics. Spirit of Speyside: Distilled takes place in Elgin Town Hall over the weekend of September 1 and 2. Tickets, which will go on sale in June, can be bought for four different sessions over the weekend.

For further information about the 2018 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, visit www.spiritofspeysode.com The Festival is also active on social media – facebook.com/whiskyfestival and on Twitter and Instagram @spirit_speyside

Notes

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is committed to promoting responsible drinking. Visitors travelling to and from Festival events can take advantage of a range of transport options. Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has received funding from Event Scotland and is also financially supported by many other private and public partners.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund Programme 2014 to 2020. The Scottish Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme.

EventScotland

EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.EventScotland.org. Follow EventScotland on Twitter @EventScotNews.

EventScotland is a team within VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, the national tourism organisation which markets Scotland as a tourism destination across the world, gives support to the tourism industry and brings sustainable tourism growth to Scotland. For more information about VisitScotland see www.visitscotland.org or for consumer information on Scotland as a visitor destination see www.visitscotland.com.

ARDBEG DAY PLUNGES DEEP UNDER THE SEA

Cult Islay Distillery gets ready for another legendary global celebration of all things Ardbeg

Ardbeg, the Ultimate Islay Malt has today revealed its plans for the 2017 Ardbeg Day celebrations.

On 3^rd June, the Distillery will pay homage to the sea surrounding Islay and the mythical sea creatures that live beneath. Participants in Ardbeg Day will be plunged deep under the sea to help celebrate the launch of Ardbeg Kelpie with a day filled with mystery, food, games… and of course, Ardbeg Single Malt.

Guests of Ardbeg Day will be invited to join in an Ardbeggian boat experience, followed by a tasting led by Ardbeg’s Paul Malone of the new Ardbeg limited edition, Kelpie, alongside seafood pairings and a pub quiz on the history of Islay and Ardbeg.

In the UK, each Ardbeg Embassy will have a team that will be challenged to decorate their own Kelpie boat, adding their own mythical figurehead from materials and props supplied. The participating teams will have to paddle across a stretch of water to reach a number of buoy targets en route. Each buoy will lead to a treasure hidden under the water.

The venue for this year’s UK activities will be the Greenwich Yacht Club – a perfect location to celebrate Ardbeg Day and the launch of Kelpie. Tickets will be available to purchase from https://www.moethennessy-selection.co.uk/ardbegday2017 from 5th May 2017 for £40 per person.

Ardbeg’s general release of Kelpie at 46% ABV, launches on Ardbeg Day (3rd June), the expression will be available to purchase from https://www.moethennessy-selection.co.uk/ardbegday2017 and Ardbeg Embassies* and for a two-week exclusive period. Kelpie will then be available at Ardbeg Embassies, whisky specialists and department stores with a RRP of £98.00.

Ardbeg Day will be celebrated at the distillery on Saturday 3^rd June 2017 and at participating Ardbeg Embassies around the world.

More details can be found at www.ardbeg.com where fans can also sign up to join the Ardbeg Committee.

#ardbeg #untamed #islay

NOTES :

Ardbeg Kelpie tasting notes at 46% ABV: 

Colour:                Burnished gold

Aroma:                A wonderful, intense, ‘dancing’ nose, with lots of different, intertwined aromas – powerful, oily peat, dark chocolate, smoked fish, hints of seaweed, and a curious, sharp herbal note. Waves of spicy black pepper.

A splash of water brings forth some classic Ardbeg notes, such as creamy coffee, smoked fudge and pine resin.  Even some hints of smoked coconut.

Taste:                   A peppery mouthfeel is followed by a crescendo of rich flavours.  Treacle toffee, Turkish coffee, smoky bacon and lots of dark, dark chocolate.  A curious burst of peachy, estery fruit, hickory wood, clove oil and a suggestion of black olives.

Finish:                  Seemingly lasting forever, with deep, deep, almost subterranean flavours of clove, tar, and rich toffee.

Ardbeg Day:

Every year, the Islay Festival of Malt and Music takes place in May or June on Ardbeg’s island home.  On the Festival’s final Saturday, Ardbeg Day, the Distillery traditionally throws open its doors to welcome fans from all over the world.  In 2012 Ardbeg Day became a global event, enabling the whisky’s passionate international following to take part in a worldwide celebration of all things Ardbeg in their own country.  Recent Ardbeg Day themes have included the Islay-limpics and the Peat Football World Cup, while in 2015, Ardbeg Day celebrated the single malt’s 200th anniversary by looking forward 200 years to a retro-futuristic version of Islay in 2215.  For 2016, Ardbeg Day became Ardbeg Night, as fans at 215 events across the globe recalled Islay’s dark past as a smugglers’ haunt.

Ardbeg Kelpie:

Ardbeg Kelpie is a limited-edition bottling created to celebrate Ardbeg Day 2017.  It is the Distillery’s first whisky with a heart matured in virgin oak from the Black Sea coast.  Renowned for imparting incredibly deep flavour notes, only a handful of whiskies have ever been matured in these Black Sea casks.  Married with hallmark ex-bourbon Ardbeg, it results in a whisky of incredible depth, which tells of its ties to the Black Sea and the waves of flavour its casks have created. 

The kelpie:

Situated on the shore of Islay’s southernmost coast, the Ardbeg Distillery has always held a deep connection to the sea – and those who live nearby have passed down through generations the stories of mysterious beasts said to live beneath the waves.  Among the most terrifying of these is the kelpie – a Scottish shape-shifting water spirit, rumoured to take the form of a horse or a bull and prey on unwitting travellers.  Legend has it that long ago, a farmer walking near Ardbeg’s shoreline was almost dragged to sea by a water bull.  Managing to overcome and rope the creature, he locked it in a barn where it cried for mercy.  At dusk, the farmer’s daughter was chased by a water horse seeking revenge for its kin.  The terrified girl ran to the barn and released the water bull, whereupon the malevolent beasts took flight back to the sea.

Ardbeg:

Ardbeg is The Ultimate Islay Single Malt Whisky.  Established in 1815, Ardbeg is revered by connoisseurs around the world as the peatiest, smokiest and most complex of all the Islay malts.  Despite its smokiness, Ardbeg is renowned for its delicious sweetness, a phenomenon that has affectionately become known as ‘the peaty paradox’.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Ardbeg suffered from an uncertain future and it was not until the brand was purchased by The Glenmorangie Company in 1997 that the Distillery was saved from extinction.  Since then, the Distillery has risen like a phoenix and today Ardbeg is well established as a niche, cult malt, with a passionate following.  

Ardbeg Committee:

The legacy of the whisky was safeguarded in 2000 by the formation of the Ardbeg Committee.  The Committee is made up of thousands of Ardbeg followers worldwide who are keen to ensure that “the doors of Ardbeg never close again”.  Today there are more than 100,000 members of the Ardbeg Committee in more than 130 countries.  Committee members are regularly consulted on new bottlings and expressions and are offered exclusive Committee bottlings.  Members also receive invitations to special gatherings, tastings and events.  The Committee, chaired by Mickey Heads, is free to join at ardbeg.com.

Awards:

Ardbeg is the world’s most highly awarded smoky single malt whisky.  Since 2008, Ardbeg has won more than 50 gold and double gold medals in key whisky competitions.  Ardbeg was voted ‘Scotch Whisky of the Year’ twice by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible (2008, 2009) and has twice been awarded ‘World’s Best Single Malt’ at the World Whiskies Awards (2010, 2013).  At the 2014 Global Icons of Whisky Awards, Mickey Heads was voted ‘Distillery Manager of the Year’.  The following year, Ardbeg’s expressions took the top three spots in Whisky Advocate magazine’s review of the best single malt Scotch whiskies under US$100.  Meanwhile, both Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Ardbeg Uigeadail have been awarded gold medals at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

The Glenmorangie Company:

The Company is one of the most renowned and innovative distillers and marketers of Scotch whisky brands worldwide and is part of Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.  Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Company produces Glenmorangie Single Highland Malt whisky and Ardbeg Single Islay Malt.

Responsible Drinking:

Ardbeg and The Glenmorangie Company advocate responsible drinking and suggest that drinkers savour Ardbeg whiskies in moderation and in line with recommended daily guidelines for alcohol consumption.