Ardbeg Distillery, founded in 1815, stands on Islay’s rugged south coast near Port Ellen, between neighbours Lagavulin and Laphroaig. Owned since 1997 by LVMH, via The Glenmorangie Company, it is celebrated as a global cult favourite among peat lovers. The site traces illicit distillation to 1794, with legal operations commencing under John MacDougall. After closing in 1981 during industry downturns, it was revived in 1989 by Hiram Walker, then fully restored under Glenmorangie in 1997 with Dr Bill Lumsden at the helm.

Ardbeg uses water from Loch Uigeadail and Loch Airigh Nam Beist, soft, peaty sources feeding two traditional copper stills: a 19,000-litre wash still and a 15,000-litre spirit still with unique purifiers that retain heavy, oily congeners. Fermentation lasts 70-plus hours in Oregon pine washbacks, using heavily peated barley at 54–55 ppm phenol from Port Ellen Maltings. Annual capacity is 2.4 million litres of alcohol, with production running 24/7 during peak seasons.

The distillery retains traditional floor maltings that are now symbolic and just used for special releases, worm tubs and dunnage warehouses. Visitor facilities include the award-winning Old Kiln Café, shop and immersive tours. The site spans 20 acres, including restored Victorian buildings and the iconic pagoda kiln.

Core range includes Ardbeg Ten (46% ABV, non-chill-filtered), Uigeadail (54.2%), Corryvreckan (57.1%) and An Oa (46.6%). Limited releases like Ardbeg Day bottlings and the Committee Release series command premium prices. In 2025, Ardbeg launched Traigh Bhan 19 Year Old Batch 7 and a Fèis Ìle 2025 expression matured in ex-Manzanilla casks.