“The elemental opposite of the sophisticated Lord of the Isles.” Perched on a wave washed, rocky headland, the Ardbeg distillery was founded in 1815 by the MacDougalls of Ardbeg. The distilleries scattered white washed buildings are reminiscent of a Dutch settlement and add to the dramatic coastal landscape. Ardbeg has had a chequered history and in recent times had been closed down for many years. Glenmorangie acquired Ardbeg in 1997 and has set about restoring the distillery to its former glory. First launched in 2003, “Uigeadail” (the loch from which all Ardbeg water flows) this cask strength, heavily peated Ardbeg is produced from a mix of bourbon casks and older sherry casks. The combination gives this whisky a velvety texture, with a sweet and smokey finish. Tasting notes: Bright gold appearance. Big, sweet sherry influenced nose offers dried apricot and marmalade scents over menthol and sweet cedar smoke. Some ripe green apple notes emerge with time in the glass. The palate is off dry with a rich, dark chocolate entry becoming heavier and fudge-like with orange chocolate, sweet cereal and the peat continually reinventing itself - at once dry and sooty, then tarry and finally kippery on the finish. Excellent balance at cask strength. Boiled lolly and spice aftertaste with a subtle spearmint fade. Latest batch tasted October 2010.

2014 marks another benchmark with "Torfa" - the first peated whisky from this revived distillery, fully matured in ex-bourbon barrels and peated to 20ppm. It takes its name from the Old Norse language with which the Scots dialect spoken in North East Scotland has an affinity and translates to “turf” or “peat”. Non-chill filtered. Natural colour. Retasted April 2018... Bright gold. White pepper and sweet earthy phenols combine with beeswax and biscuity malt; more cocoa / dark chocolate-like after extended time in the glass. A full bodied, succulent delivery with toasted barley, hints of fruit and a superb slathering of sweet peat. Melts in your mouth with near zero heat, the buzzing spices ricocheting through the finish. Uncomplicated but very pure. Beautiful malt. 50% Alc./Vol. First tasted April 2014... Pale straw gold. Opening sniff detects hints of vanilla wafer biscuit, dried grass and white pepper; more cocoa like after exposure as mild peat infuses dark chocolate, accentuating with time in the glass. Quite sweet but remains in check with the mid palate featuring juicy vanilla malt and the finish highlighting the peat as wet-wool / lanolin. Controlled spices add length and continue into an attractive choc-peat fade. Smokey, but in an accessible Caol Ila kind of way. Nicely done. 93 points