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.

A single cask Ardbeg (#413) distilled in 1992, matured for eight years and bottled in 2000 by Signatory Vintage for the Un-Chillfiltered collection. Signatory Vintage was founded in 1988 by Andrew Symington, who previously worked at Prestonfield House, Edinburgh, where he would select casks specially for the hotel. In 2002, he bought the Edradour distillery in Pitlochry, in the Highlands of Scotland, and moved Signatory Vintage vintage to the site, including the warehouses opposite the distillery. The Un-Chillfiltered range, launched in 2000, reflects Symington’’s belief that whisky should be bottled without chillfiltration or artificial colouring. Bottlings in the range are generally cask strength or near cask strength, originally at 43% and now at 46%. He adopted these practices early on, in an era when this was not yet the norm for independent bottlers. He was also a pioneer of very detailed labels containing all the information enthusiasts and collectors might find useful.