Ardmore
Ardmore distillery was built in 1898 by the Teacher family to fulfill the malt whisky requirements of the family whisky blending business. The distillery was built as it had a reliable source of water, plenty of peat in the surrounding area, barley fields nearby and easy access to the Inverness-Aberdeen railway line.
Like many distilleries in Scotland, it faced periods of bonanza and periods of crisis. It remained operational until the 1950's. In 1955 the distillery's production capacity was doubled and it was increased once again in 1974. Barley was malted at the premises until that year.
In 2006 the Beam Suntory conglomerate acquired Ardmore and Laphroaig distilleries. While Laphroaig has a strong presence as a single malt, the same cannot be said about Ardmore. Most of the spirit produced there still ends up in the Teacher's blend.
Fans of this single malt will often find it bottled by independent bottling companies. The style of this whisky derives from the long fermentation period, the usage of peated barley and the distillery's focus on a medium to heavy palate.
