Scotland, Speyside. Distillery operational. Owner: Beam - Suntory

Somewhat unusually for the Scotch whisky industry, the Ardmore distillery was built entirely by the William Teachers & Son blending company in 1897 in order to create a supply of malt for its blended scotches, including Teacher's Highland Cream, which was released in 1884. Ardmore remained in the family fold until 1976, when it was bought by the Allied Breweries Group, and then Allied Domecq. Founded on this unusual heritage, the distillery continued to maintain its singularity for some time. It produced a partly peated malt (10-15 ppm) and used direct-fired stills until 2001 (a method abandoned by almost all distilleries in the 60s and 70s). These distinctive traits helped build its unique character and would grant it a special place in the family of Speyside malts. Ardmore owes its renown, however, not just to its individuality but also to independent bottlers who, from an early stage, took the malt in hand and introduced it to enthusiasts. With distillery versions almost non-existent, two versions of Ardmore are particularly prized, the Ardmore 16 Year Old Pure Malt Whisky (70s) and the Ardmore 15 Year Old Pure Malt Whisky (80s).

An Ardmore 12 year old distilled in 1994 and bottled in 2007, matured in hogsheads. The Single Malts of Scotland range was created in 2005 by Elixir Distillers (formerly Specialty Drinks), the independent bottler founded by The Whisky Exchange in 1999. It features single casks and small batch bottlings. Elixir Distillers’’ other ranges include Elements of Islay and Port Askaig. A limited edition of 745 bottles.