Scotland, Isle of Islay. Distillery operational. Owner: LVMH - Diageo

Founded in 1815 by McDougall & Co. in the south-east of Islay, near the Kildalton Cross, Ardbeg's malt was for a long time overshadowed by its neighbours and competitors Lagavulin and Laphroaig.It was under the patronage of the McDonald family (Glenmorangie Plc), who bought the distillery in 1997, that it was able to develop its potential and introduce the public to the treasures sleeping in its vaults. Between September and November 1997, no less than three bottlings - two of which would become great classics - were released on the market, the Ardbeg 17 Year Old, Ardbeg 1978 and Ardbeg Provenance 1974. The following decade was rich in single cask, cask strength bottlings matured in sherry and bourbon casks, each more impressive than the next. And it was dressed in a new green bottle with confident Celtic-Gothic aesthetics that Ardbeg flooded the market for fans of malts dominated by aromas of smoke, peat and tiger balm.

An Ardbeg 21 year old distilled in 1974, a very popular year known for being less peated than previous years due to poor weather conditions. Bottled in 1996 by Sestante. An Ardbeg 18 year old and 30 year old also exist in the same series. The White Crest Labels reproduce the shape of the labels for the legendary Bowmore Crest Label series. Founded in 1977 in Parma by Ernesto Mainardi, Sestante is an Italian bottler and importer. Formerly working for Co. Import, Mainardi began working for himself after meeting George Urquhart of Gordon & MacPhail, from whom he began importing bottlings. He launched his own selections in 1985, in two versions, one cask strength and the other reduced. Sestante and Silver Seal, the other business Mainardi founded in 2000, were sold in 2010 to Massimo Righi, owner of Whisky Antique.