Ardnahoe Distillery

Ardnahoe distillery

Ardnahoe Distillery is one Scottish family’s dream unfolding as well as being the next chapter in the captivating story of the Whisky Isle of Islay.

The Laing family, having been involved in the Scottish whisky industry for generations, are highly respected in their field. As a young man in the 1960’s Stewart Laing came to work at the Bruichladdich Distillery where he began to learn the fine art of distillation. It was here, on the island, his love for Islay and its whisky was ignited.

Stewart’s two sons, Andrew and Scott, are following in their father’s footsteps – making Ardnahoe a wholly family-owned business: a rarity in today’s scotch whisky industry.

Ardnahoe prides itself on being a modern distillery, set beautifully in a stunning location, that employs rigorously traditional methods and values. The spirit being produced is sweet, smoky and smooth yet peaty and spicy – unique and dynamic to its very core.

  • Owner

    Hunter Laing & Company

  • Status

    Operational

  • Country

    Scotland

  • Region

    Islay

  • Production type:

    Single Malt

  • Founded

    14 October 2018

  • Production yearly

    900.000 Liters

History

Ever since Stewart Laing worked at Bruichladdich as a teenager he felt an affinity with Islay and harboured a dream to one day build a family-owned and run distillery on the island.

In 2013 Laing established independent bottling company Hunter Laing & Co., and recruited his two sons, Andrew and Scott, to the board.

Noticing rapidly growing demand for its Islay whiskies, and with a desire to secure a future for his two sons, in January 2016 Laing acquired a site on the northeast coast of Islay and lodged plans to build an £8 million malt whisky distillery.

Planning permission was granted for Ardnahoe distillery in September 2016, and construction work began shortly after.

The distillery was completed in late 2018, with the first spirit run through the stills on 14 October, and the first cask filled on 9 November.

It officially opened to visitors in April 2019.

Timeline of Ardnahoe

2013
Stewart Laing establishes Hunter Laing & Co. as an independent bottler
January 2016
Hunter Laing & Co. submits plans to build a distillery at Ardnahoe
September 2016
Plans to build Ardnahoe distillery are approved
2017
Jim McEwan joins Ardnahoe

Former Bruichladdich master distiller Jim McEwan Joins Ardnahoe as production director 

October 2018
The stills begin running with spirit

Cask number 001 filled on the 9th November that year 

April 2019
Ardnahoe officalyy opens to visitors

Distillery Facts

Taste profile

Yet to be explored

Core range 

At this point Ardnahoe havent produced any whisky yet. But in honor of the build and  opening of the distillery Hunter Laing released during the Islay Whisky Festival the Scarabus.

  • Scarabus Islay Single Malt Whisky 
  • Scarabus Islay 10 year old Single Malt Whisky 
  • Scarabus (Batch Strength) Single Malt Whisky

Scarabus, an Islay Single Malt for those with a curious mind and an eye for detail.  A whisky bold and honest about its origins and just a little mysterious about everything else.

The brand creates a sense of mystery and discovery through the tagline “only those who seek shall find” and through the intentionally ambiguous symbols incorporated on the label. The look and feel drew inspiration from the work of Islay born John Francis Campbell, who created the sunshine recorder, a device that tallies the hours of sunshine in a day, as well as creating a vast collection of Celtic folklore tales.

Scarabus is known as a mystical area on the Isle of Islay, and the name dates back to 13th century, and translates to “a rocky place” in Old Norse.

Bottled at the perfect drinking strength of 46% and proudly without colouring or chill- filtration.

Tasting Notes: Islay peat smoke and sea salt on the nose, followed by warming leather notes, stewed rhubarb and a wonderful vanilla sweetness in the mouth, leading to a rich lingering finish.

Distillery Tours

Explore the creation of Ardnahoe’s Spirit where modern design works in perfect harmony with traditional techniques & equipment. Hear our story so far and take in the spectacular surroundings. End your tour in our bespoke dramming area with a taste and a glass to take home.

DURATION:

About 30 minutes

COST

£10 per person

Enjoy a tutored tasting with tasty nibbles prepared by our kitchen team in our café area. These have been matched with selected expressions from the Hunter Laing range of whisky.

This is a tasting only. If you would like to see the production area of the distillery, please book onto ‘The Spirit of Ardnahoe’.

DURATION:

About 60 minutes

COST

£25 per person

Enjoy some exclusive Spirits of Scotland from different regions, whilst relaxing in the comfortable surroundings of our Kinship Room. These will be selected from the Old & Rare aged stocks of our Hunter Laing family cellars.

This is a tasting only. If you would like to see the production area of the distillery, please book onto ‘The Spirit of Ardnahoe’

DURATION:

About 60 minutes

COST

£70 per person

 

A two-hour tutored session on the art of blending whisky. This experience coaches you through the essentials of creating a blend from the various samples of single grain and single malt from the distilleries of Scotland. You take home your own 20cl blend as a memento of your visit.

This is a tasting only. If you would like to see the production area of the distillery, please book onto ‘The Spirit of Ardnahoe’,

DURATION:

About 2 hours

COST

£95 per person

 

Enjoy a tasting in our atmospheric warehouse, drawing samples from five selected casks from various distilleries of Scotland. Take home a 20cl bottle from your favourite cask.

This is a tasting only. If you would like to see the production area of the distillery, please book onto ‘The Spirit of Ardnahoe’

DURATION:

About 1.5 hours

COST

£50 per person

Visitor center 

OPENING TIMES

January – February

OPENING TIMES

DayTimes
Monday09:3017:00
Tuesday09:3017:00
Wednesday09:3017:00
Thursday09:3017:00
Friday09:3017:00
Saturday09:3017:00
Sunday09:3017:00

 

CONTACT DETAILS

Ardnahoe distillery
Port Askaig
Isle of Islay
PA46 7RN
United Kingdom
Ardnahoe social media links

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