Popular Scotch whiskey "Ardbeg": description, composition, reviews, price

Ardbeg - a popular Scottish whiskey, known in the world market since 1998. But the plant, which produces this drink, has been working since 1794. Why did the distillery "Ardbeg" stay in the shadows for so long? We will tell you an interesting story about the development of this brand in this article. Now the Scottish plant belongs to the international corporation Glenmorange. But the entire production capacity of the distillery is located in the same place where whiskey was made at the end of the eighteenth century. It can not be said that the drink is made in the old manner. But the manufacturer has studied all the innovations in this art in order to create the best whiskey. Distillery "Ardbeg" produces dozens of products. The most popular of them we will consider in this article.

History of the distillery

In 1794, on the south coast of Isla Island, on the very shore of the sea, stood a modest plant. He seemed to be hiding from prying eyes among the rocks. And it is no accident: the whiskey was produced illegally. In 1815, the all-seeing eye of the tax inspection still reached him. The plant was closed, but was immediately bought by a certain John McDougall. From 1815, the legal phase of the distillery began. The place for the production of whiskey "Ardbeg" was chosen not accidentally. From the lake Oogadal follows a stream, punching its way between the silicon rocks and peat bogs. Malt houses are located at the very edge of the sea, and the raw material is soaked with the smell of iodine and salt spray. The fact that this place is good for the production of whiskey, says the fact that not far from the "Ardbeg" are two more respected distilleries - Lagavulin and Laphroaig. In 1981, the owner of a small plant faced financial difficulties and put the company on auction. The new owners, too, something was not going well, and they resold the distillery. Finally, in 1996, it was acquired by the corporation Glenmorangie Co. She reconstructed the equipment, and also launched a promotional campaign. And it turned out that in order to learn about the first-class whiskey the whole planet, enough commercials.

Lake Oogadal and its contribution to the glory of whiskey

The Glenmorange Corporation annually produces hundreds of thousands of bottles of Ardbeg whiskey. To store these products, five huge warehouses were built. Year by year, the popularity of this brand is growing. In 2008, the title of "The Best Whiskey of the Year" was given to "Ardbeg" of a ten-year period. In 2009, the palm went to his brother Ardbeg Uigeadail. This is the second word that many distributors translate as "Guessed", in fact it means Lake Oogadal. This pond serves as the source on which the entire production of the distillery "Ardbeg" is based. In Gaelic, "oogadal" means "a mystical and dark place". The brand was born in 2003. Everyone knows how important water quality is in whiskey production. The "mystical" lake fully deserved to be immortalized in the name of the branded drink.

How to produce "Ardbeg"

The international company Glenmorange has spent about 1.5 million pounds on the renovation of the distillery equipment. She bought three vats of Oregon pine, conducted a thorough reconstruction of distillers. But the old factory itself is located in the same place. And the process of production of whiskey "Ardbeg" remained traditional. As is customary in Scotland, single alcohol alcohols are used for the drink. Barley of the best varieties are scattered on a flat surface and several times a day they are turned over. In the humid air of the coast, soaking up iodine and sea salt, the grain begins to germinate. This malt is then dried on the smoke from smoldering peat. So he types a characteristic smell of "smoked". Then the malt should be taken to the distillation cube, where it interacts with the special peat water from Lake Oogadal. And then the obtained spirits mature for a few years in barrels of French oak, where bourbon or sherry was previously stored.

General characteristics of whiskey "Ardbeg"

Reviews call this brand the most "smoky", the most "peat". After fumigation of malt and soaking in the waters of Lake Oogadal, this drink accumulates the maximum concentration of phenol compounds. If you compare "Ardbeg" with other varieties of whiskey, then this figure reaches 50 ppm, while the other 20-40 ppm. It is thanks to the phenolic compounds that the drink has such a characteristic taste and aroma, which can not be confused with any other brand. "Ardbeg" is a typical male whiskey. He has a slightly sweetish spicy taste. The aroma of the drink takes you to the shore of the North Sea: the wind is like a face sprayed with salty spray and smells the algae. This whiskey has a long and powerful peat aftertaste with a distinct aroma of haze. The Ardbeg glass fits perfectly with the cigar.

Whiskey "Ardbeg" 10 years: reviews

The distillery manufactures several products. Let's consider some of them. The most common spill that can be easily found in Russian wine boutiques is the ten-year-old "Ardbeg". It is available in a capacity of 750 milliliters. A stylish bottle with an engraved letter "A" and the number 1815 (the year of legal start-up of a distillery) costs five thousand rubles. Behind the green glass lies the amber liquid. The taste of this whiskey is quite dense, oily. It combines tartness and sweetness. In the aftertaste there is a lot of peaty haze. The drink has a multifaceted complex aroma with notes of cinnamon and chocolate. Reviews are advised to enjoy it as a digestive - in its pure form, with an ice cube or a cigar. Fortress 10-year drink - 46%.

Ardbeg Corrivrekan

It is a more expensive drink, although it has as many years of aging. There is a 700-ml bottle in the gift box of almost seven thousand rubles. This drink is less strong than the usual whiskey "Ardbeg 10". Reviews also say that you should not blindly trust the figures of 57.1% on the package - the drink can turn your head. This single malt whiskey is produced using traditional Scottish technology, that is, without cold filtration. Alcohols mature for ten years in barrels of limousine oak. The amber drink has an intense aroma of bitter chocolate, black currant and nutmeg with a slight touch of pine cones. In taste, notes of espresso, dried fruits and almonds merged. This whiskey has a wonderful long finish. In the aftertaste, the reviews noted notes of cherry, chocolate and pepper sauce.

Ardbeg Oogadal

We will taste the most "mystical" whiskey. "Ardbeg Oogadal" also costs about eight thousand rubles for a 700-ml bottle. The strength of this drink is 54.2%. Despite the fact that "the best whiskey of 2009" was named after the lake, which feeds the distillery, its aroma most senses the sea. The storm that rolls ashore and smells of salt and iodine mixes in the most bizarre way with fragrant peaty haze and juicy fruits. The taste of the drink also suggests proximity to the sea. The barrels of sherry and bourbon, in which the spirits ripened, were very impregnated with a salty wind. Reviews argue that in the long aftertaste are felt mature autumn fruits, mixed with haze.

"Ardbeg" in the world culture

This brand has become a true icon of style among whiskey lovers. This drink has several dozen spills. Basically this is a single malt whiskey. But "Ardbeg" is also a part of blended distillates, such as "Black Battle", "Teacherz" and "The Balance". This drink has a complex masculine character. Some of its spills are sold only to members of the club established in 1945. Because of this elitism of whiskey "Ardbeg" (the price for a bottle varies from five to several tens of thousands of rubles) often appears on large screens. So, Harry Pearce, the main character of the British television series "Ghosts," often appears with an easily recognizable bottle. And actor Keanu Reeves, reincarnated in John Constantine in the film of the same name, relishes him along with investigator Dodson.