Ardbeg 14 years old by Gordon & MacPhail
Single Malt Scotch Whisky distilled in 1973 by the Ardbeg distillery, matured and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail with 14 years old at 40% ABV for Sestante distributor in Parma, Italy.
The rising demand for its product in the 1970s meant that Ardbeg was forced to stop using its own malted barley, instead buying it in from the neighboring Port Ellen maltings. The result was a change in the style and profile of the distillery's whisky, and pre-1974 vintages such as this are incredibly sought after by connoisseurs and collectors alike.
Tasting Notes: herbal tea (chamomile, tilia), old chalk, apples, melons, sweet almonds, seaweed, anise seeds, peat.
Gordon & MacPhail is an independent bottler and distiller of Scotch Whisky, founded in 1895. They have been bottling single malt whiskies for over 115 years, and now bottles over 350 different expressions from around 70 distilleries. It is a family business owned by the Urquhart Family
The Distillery
Ardbeg was founded in 1815, but whisky has been made in the site since 1798.
From 1838 the distillery entered a lengthy phase of ownership changes until was closed in 1981. It reopened in 1989 and it was finally sold in 1997 to Glenmorangie when the production resumed full time. Nowadays Ardbeg is part of the LVMH group as its Glenmorangie.
Ardbeg holds a special place in the hearts of many whisky enthusiasts. A smoky, medicinal, slightly bacon-y place in their hearts, to be specific.
One of the oldest distilleries in Islay, Ardbeg produces around 1 million liters of spirit per year, and is only bottled as single malts, never component in blends.
