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.

An Islay single malt distilled at the Ardbeg distillery in June 1993, matured in first-fill sherry casks and bottled by the Scottish independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail in December 2005. A heavily peated malt aged for at least 12 years. Note the mention of the distillery owner’’s name on the label, “The Glenmorangie Co Ltd”. This version also exists in a 40% version bottled in 2004. Bottle equipped with a cork stopper and gold foil seal.The Connoisseurs Choice range was introduced in the early 1970s for the Italian Edoardo Giaccone. It was then used by Gordon & MacPhail from 1978-1979. Over the decades it underwent several changes. This version, known to collectors as the “Map Label”, was used from 1997 to 2007.