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Ardbeg enthusiast buys one-of-a-kind 1975 Islay single malt for £16million

Published:  11 July, 2022

A one-of-a-kind 1975 cask of Ardbeg Islay single malt Scotch whisky, which survived the distillery’s two brushes with closure, has sold to a private collector in Asia for £16million. 

The oldest ever released by Ardbeg, ‘Cask No. 3’ is extremely rare since little single malt was created at the Distillery in the 1970s and was closed through much of the 80s and 90s.

Described as a “remarkable piece of liquid history” by world-renowned whisky expert Charles MacLean MBE, Cask No. 3 will be bottled over five years for its owner, giving her an unparalleled vertical collection of aged Ardbegs, which cannot be replicated for at least a decade. In addition, to celebrate the half-century of distillery workers behind the whisky, Ardbeg will donate £ 1 million to causes on Islay.

CEO Thomas Moradpour said: “This sale is a source of pride for everyone in the Ardbeg community who has made our journey possible. 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.”

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 a unique vertical series of rare Ardbegs from 1975, aged 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50 years old. 

Dr Bill Lumsden, overseeing the cask’s ongoing maturation, said: “Cask No. 3 is an extraordinary taste of Ardbeg’s past. 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 is one of a kind. And its complex flavours are a 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.”

Industry experts hailed the sale as a demonstration of the investment value of single malt Scotch. Author and world-renowned whisky expert Charles MacLean MBE said: “This truly unique whisky is a remarkable piece of liquid history – an evocative taste of what Ardbeg was like when it malted its own barley. So many old whiskies can go flat with age. But Cask No. 3 is a lovely whisky, hugely complex, still having vitality after nearly half a century.”






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