Ardmore Distillery Information
The Ardmore distillery was established in 1898 by William Teacher’s & Sons (Adam Teacher (The son of William Teacher who established Teachers) and his brother William) in order to ensure sufficient quantities of whisky for the Teachers blends. There previously was a distillery on Islay carrying the same name, but it was closed around 1837, and its buildings were made part of Lagavulin. The Ardmore distillery itself is located close to Kennethmont, near the foothills of the Grampian mountains in the Highlands region of Scotland. The location was picked because of the abundance of clear water, peat and barley nearby, as well as the nearby railroad. When the distillery was established, it was powered by a single steam engine; a relic of times long gone that is kept on display.
In 1955, the number of stills was doubled from two to four, and again in 1974 to a total of eight stills. In 1973, a visitor centre was opened, though nowadays the distillery is open to the public by appointment only.
In 1976, William Teacher’s & Sons was acquired by Allied Breweries (later renamed Allied Distillers), who closed the Saladin box maltings that same year. The cooperage closed in the late 1980s, and in 2002 the stills were switched from direct firing to indirect steam heating.
In 2005, Fortune Brands acquired the distillery from Allied Domecq; its spirits business was later spun off as Beam Inc, which became part of Beam Suntory, now Suntory Global Spirits, after Suntory’s 2014 acquisition.
Ardmore Whiskies
Most of the spirit distilled at Ardmore is still used for Teacher’s blends, but a handful of official single malt bottlings are released under the Ardmore name:
- Legacy: a no-age-statement expression, lightly peated with heather honey, cinnamon and toffee on the nose, and a full-bodied, dry finish. 40% ABV.
- Tradition: a Travel Retail exclusive, matured first in oak barrels then in smaller Quarter Casks, giving a fuller, richer style with more prominent Highland peat smoke. 46% ABV.
- 12 Year Old Port Wood Finish: double matured in American white oak bourbon barrels and European port pipes, non-chill filtered, giving a ruby gold colour with fruity, smoky notes. 46% ABV.
- Triple Wood: a Travel Retail exclusive, triple matured in American oak barrels, quarter casks and puncheons, non-chill filtered, with more pronounced traditional peat smoke character. 46% ABV.
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Ardmore |
| Region | Highland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Water source | Several sources on Knockandy Hill |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Suntory Global Spirits |
| Address |
Ardmore Distillery, |
| Visitor centre | No |
| Website | https://www.ardmorewhisky.com/ |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 12 tonnes | 1 (Cast-iron, semi-lauter) |
| Washback | 6 * 90,000, 8 * 45,000 litres | 14 (Oregon pine) |
| Wash still | 15,000 litres | 4 |
| Spirit Still | 15,000 litres | 4 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 5,100,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Ardmore was established in 1898 by William Teacher’s & Sons, specifically Adam Teacher (son of William Teacher, who founded Teacher’s) and his brother William, to ensure a sufficient supply of whisky for the Teacher’s blends.
Ardmore sits close to Kennethmont, near the foothills of the Grampian mountains in the Highlands. The site was chosen for its abundance of clear water, peat, and barley, as well as a nearby railroad.
There was. An earlier distillery on Islay also carried the Ardmore name, but it closed around 1837, and its buildings became part of Lagavulin.
Ardmore is owned today by Suntory Global Spirits (formerly Beam Suntory). Fortune Brands acquired the distillery from Allied Domecq in 2005; that spirits business became Beam Inc and then Beam Suntory after Suntory’s 2014 acquisition. Before 2005, William Teacher’s & Sons had been under Allied Breweries (later Allied Distillers) since 1976.
Most of the spirit distilled at Ardmore still goes into Teacher’s blends, a role it was built for from the start.
Official releases include the 12 Year Old (released in 1999 for the distillery’s 100th anniversary), Traditional Cask (a no-age-statement whisky matured in bourbon casks with a second maturation in quarter casks), and a 25 Year Old for the UK and Duty Free markets.
A visitor centre opened in 1973, but Ardmore is nowadays only open to the public by appointment.