Every year, the Islay Festival of Malt and Music takes place in the island home of Ardbeg. During the Festival’s final Saturday, the Distillery traditionally throws open its doors to welcome fans from all over the world to celebrate what is known as Ardbeg Day. In 2012, Ardbeg Day became a global event, enabling the whisky’s passionate international following to take part in a worldwide celebration of all things Ardbeg. And finally, the festivities came to our shores!
Held at Yes Please at the Palace, the Philippines joined the rest of the world for the first time in commemoration of Ardbeg Day and launched the maiden Ardbeg Committee in the Philippines through a private tasting of Ardbeg’s key expressions: Ardbeg 10, Uigeadail and Corryvreckan. Together with Ardbeg’s brand ambassador, Hamish Torie from the distillery’s Whisky Creation Team, the event featured a VR experience highlighting the three key expressions and the Ardbeg distillery. Good cheer was abundant with the plethora of guests who were more than ready to revel in the occasion. Ardbeg was served aplenty together with cuisine inspired by the whisky’s home. In an immersive set-up, Ardbeg indeed brought to life the Untamed Spirit of Islay experience to Manila.
Along with the merriment, guests also heralded the numerous accolades of Ardbeg. Being the world’s most highly awarded smoky single malt whisky, Ardbeg has won more than 50 gold and double gold medals in key whisky competitions since 2008. It too was voted ‘Scotch Whisky of the Year’ twice by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible (2008, 2009) and has twice been awarded ‘World’s Best Single Malt’ at the World Whiskies Awards (2010, 2013). In addition, at the 2014 Global Icons of Whisky Awards, Ardbeg’s Mickey Heads was voted ‘Distillery Manager of the Year’. For the second year running at the International Whisky Competition, Dr Bill Lumsden, Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation and Whisky Stocks for Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, was crowned 2017 Master Distiller of the Year.
Ardbeg’s expressions also took the top three spots in Whisky Advocate magazine’s review of the best single malt Scotch whiskies under US$100. This year, both Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Ardbeg Uigeadail have been awarded double gold medals at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The World Whiskies Awards also awarded Ardbeg Corryvreckan “Best Islay Single Malt”. Truly, its titles were given several toasts last Ardbeg Day.
Definitely, the first Philippine leg of Ardbeg Day was of immense success. A beautiful evening of deep sea storytelling, in-depth whisky tastings and all things Ardbeg - and it won’t be the last. Look forward to more exciting events and revelry only from the Ultimate Islay Single Malt Whisky, Ardbeg.
Ardbeg:
Ardbeg is The Ultimate Islay Single Malt Whisky. Established in 1815, Ardbeg is revered by connoisseurs around the world as the peatiest, smokiest and most complex of all the Islay malts. Despite its smokiness, Ardbeg is renowned for its delicious sweetness, a phenomenon that has affectionately become known as ‘the peaty paradox’.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Ardbeg suffered from an uncertain future and it was not until the brand was purchased by The Glenmorangie Company in 1997 that the Distillery was saved from extinction. Since then, the Distillery has risen like a phoenix and today Ardbeg is well established as a niche, cult malt, with a passionate following.
