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 distilled in 1975 and bottled by Douglas Laing for the Old Malt Cask series after 24 years of maturation. The 1970s was a pivotal decade for the distillery, during which time it was modernized under the guidance of Hamish Scott, before closing and changing hands on several occasions in the 80s and 90s. Douglas Laing was founded in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing, primarily as a blending company but also as an independent bottler, with the latter activity becoming increasingly prominent over the years. The Old Malt Cask range (single casks bottled at 50%) was launched in 1999. Only 713 bottles were produced from this single cask.