I just love Ardbeg whisky and to my mind it is the greatest single malt scotch whisky that ever graced this earth. Of course I don't expect you to simply take my word for it so I'll do my best to show you exactly why Ardbeg comes out on top for me every single time.

The Ardbeg distillery, which dates to 1815, was effectively shut down in 1981 when production came to an end, but rose from the ashes in 1989 when limited production was resumed. Yet the real kiss of life for Ardbeg came in 1997 when the distillery was bought by Glenmorangie.

So what is it about Ardbeg that makes it one of the world's finest single malts?

There is one thing that whisky buffs the world over love and that is a high Alcohol By Volume (ABV) content. Many Ardbeg varieties are bottled at considerably higher than 40% ABV.

Ardbeg is well known for being very peaty. In spite of its strong fragrance and high alcohol content many people find Ardbeg to have a very smooth flavour with a warm taste to savour.

Since the reopening of the distillery a number of varieties have been produced that have charted the passing of time - Very Young, Still Young, Almost There and Renaissance for example not only have different ages (from 6 year old to 10 year old) but also have wonderfully intriguing names.

As for some of the other varieties, just contemplate these names for while: Uigeadail, Blasda, Airigh Nam Beist. These evocative and inspiring names have surely added to the magic of Ardbeg. Just thinking about these names makes me want to know more about them and the whiskies they adorn.

Of course it takes much more than a name to create a truly great single malt scotch whisky. Let's see what else Ardbeg has got to offer.

If you're lucky or wise enough to have become a member of the Ardbeg committee you'll know that Ardbeg just loves to release some very fine limited editions from time to time. As they are released in limited numbers a real buzz can spread about them as Ardbeg fans across the globe clamour to get their hands on one.

So there you have it, just some of the reasons why, for me, Ardbeg is Whisky of The Year every year and also The Ultimate Single Islay Malt Whisky. Of course there is one special thing about Ardbeg that I haven't mentioned - to find that out you'll just have to try some!

Posted under Wine