Ardberg Distillery

This distillery claims to produce one of the smokiest whiskies in Scotland, and personally I would be tempted to agree with that, as the whiskey here has one of the strongest flavors I've tried. It is currently owned by the French magnate Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (and yes, the clue's in the name, this company also produces Hennessy and Moët & Chandon in France). The distillery has changed hands several times, and after initially focusing on blended whiskies, when it was acquired by the French group in 1997, the priorities were changed. Now it creates malts designed to compete with the international market, and Ardbeg has become a famous name.

Ardbeg is the last of the three distilleries on the south coast at three miles from Port Ellen. There is a walking/cycle path, if you plan to visit all three on the same day, this is definitely the safest option (some of the tasting drams are greater than 50%).

We visited the Old Kiln Cafe which is in the refurbished malt kilns. We were offered a free dram of our choosing to go with our lunch. I tried the Corryvreckan aged in wine casks but the Uigeadail aged in sherry casks is also really good.

Ardbeg is famous for sending a sample of whisky up to the international space station. Chemical analysis showed an effect on terpenes and a 'dramatically different flavor profile' was reported when comparisons were made with an earth based control.