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 cask strength Ardbeg bottled by Specialty Drinks for the Elements of Islay range, which, as the name implies, features only whiskies from Islay. ‘Ar’’ refers to ‘Ardbeg’’ and ‘2’’ to this being the second Ardbeg in the range. It is a blend of three hogsheads containing malt distilled in the 1990s. Specialty Drinks—renamed Elixir Distillers in 2017— is an independent bottler founded by The Whisky Exchange in 1999. Elixir Distillers was behind the ranges The Single Malts of Scotland (2005), Elements of Islay (2006) and Port Askaig (2009).