Ardbeg 1815

You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest is blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997.

One of the most talked about releases of 2015, the Ardbeg 1815 was bottled to commemorate the the 200th Anniversary of this legendary Islay distillery. The whisky was distilled in 1974 and 1975 and matured for 33 years, with a further 8 years spent marrying in glass containers for preservation. The 1974 spirit was matured in bourbon barrels, while the 1975 distillate was kept in sherry casks.

One of 400 bottles.