Product description
It is hard to believe today that a quarter of a century ago, Ardbeg Distillery was struggling to survive using a fraction of its modest production capacity and if it had not been taken over by Glenmorangie plc in 1997, it might have faded into history.
The distillery was founded in 1815 by John McDougall. Its name is a transcription of the Gaelic "ad bheag" meaning "little hill". The distillery went bankrupt in 1835 and in 1922 returned to the founding family, who managed it until 1959, when Ardbeg Distillery Ltd was established. In the 1960s and 1970s, demand for smoked and peated whisky increased and Ardbeg worked at full capacity. The Ardbeg 1976 presented here was bottled in 1990 by Gordon & MacPhail for Giuseppe Meregalli, an Italian importer based in Milan.
Nose: hospital smoke, seaweed, lemon peel, apples, lapsang souchong tea, lemongrass, licorice, camphor, traces of diesel fuel and a hint of salty breeze.
Palate: peat smoke, lemons, grapefruit, salted caramel, white pepper, lemongrass, licorice, mint liqueur, roasted almonds, hints of iodine and oak.
Finish: fairly long, with notes of peat smoke, lemon peel, smoked seafood, white pepper, ginger and oak.