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.

Ardbeg Blaaack is a special edition launched in 2020 to mark the 20th anniversary of The Committee, a club founded in 2000 and open to all fans of the distillery, whose loyalty is rewarded with the ability to buy exclusive bottlings such as this one as well as access to the distillery’’s private room. Ardbeg Blaaack is finished in a New Zealand Pinot Noir cask. It is named in reference to Ardbeg’’s status on the isle, where it is considered something of a black sheep—an animal found in abundance there. As is often the case, two editions of these bottles exist, the first a cask strength version for Committee members and the second at a lower ABV for the general public.