Ardbeg is, no doubt, one of the more popular and cult-like distilleries coming out of Scotland these days. The fanbase is rabid and it has done wonders to help this brand grow and grow over the years. Now, in a move that either denotes superfan or super whisky investor, or perhaps a bit of both, one cask of Ardbeg whisky from 1975 has sold to a private collector in Asia for £16 million (just over $19 million USD).
The sale to the unnamed buyer marks the oldest whisky to ever be released by Ardbeg. Cask No. 3, according to distillery officials, was created “in a bygone era when the distillery still malted its barley onsite, the smoky, balanced spirit of cask No. 3 was distilled on Tuesday, 25th November 1975, and laid down to age in two separate casks – a bourbon and an Oloroso sherry. Those casks were patiently matured by generations of Ardbeg’s skilled warehouse workers over 38 years.
“Then Ardbeg’s acclaimed director of whisky creation, Dr Bill Lumsden, decided to marry the two casks, creating an even more extraordinary single malt. On 31st March 2014, he transferred their whisky into a single refill Oloroso butt, selected to give only the subtlest of wood influence. There it has remained ever since. Today, more than 46 years after its story began, this single malt is a smorgasbord of sherried, smoky aromas and rich, elegant tastes.”
Over the next five years, Ardbeg will continue to mature Cask No. 3 in a secure location on Islay for its owner. Every year, she will receive 88 bottles from the cask. By 2026, this Ardbeg enthusiast will possess what’s described as a unique vertical series of rare Ardbegs from 1975, aged 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50 years old.
“Cask No. 3 is an extraordinary taste of Ardbeg’s past,” said Lumsden in a prepared statement. “Its aromas are nutty, herbal and smoky, while its tastes of tar, espresso coffee and spearmint have an astonishing finesse for a whisky of such age. So little stock survives from this era, that this cask really is one of a kind. And its complex flavours are testament to the extraordinary skill of the Ardbeg team who have cared for it over the decades.
“I look forward to exploring how it continues to evolve over the next five years.”
What’s particularly unique about this whisky, beyond the record shattering price, is how it represents a piece of history from whisky long ago made here. Having been created at the distillery in the 1970s, it was just one of a few single malt casks put aside at the time for aging – the majority of Ardbeg’s whisky in this era was sold for blending. This cask then aged quietly during a time when Ardbeg was closed through much of the 80s and 90s.
“This sale is a source of pride for everyone in the Ardbeg community who has made our journey possible,” said Ardbeg CEO Thomas Moradpour. “Just 25 years ago, Ardbeg was on the brink of extinction, but today it is one of the most sought-after whiskies in the world. That is a reflection of generations of hard work: from those in the stillhouse who craft our smoky spirit, to the warehouse staff who care for our casks over decades, to teams around the world who build the reputation of our whiskies with fans, bartenders and collectors.”
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