TIME REMAINING
End Date : Jun 24 2026 08:00 PM
We may have sold this bottle before. Click the graph below to view our sales history.
Ardbeg 10 Year Old. Guaranteed. Bottled Late 1980s. 75cl. 40%. No box.
A scarce late-1980s bottling of Ardbeg 10 Year Old, released during a fascinating period in the distillery's history when production was intermittent and stocks from the old Ardbeg distillery were becoming increasingly sought after.
Presented in the distinctive "Guaranteed" label style that appeared on Ardbeg bottlings during the 1980s, this example captures the character of Islay whisky before the distillery's renaissance under new ownership in the late 1990s. Bottles from this era are renowned for their robust peat smoke, coastal character and oily texture, offering a glimpse into the traditional style of Ardbeg that helped establish its legendary reputation.
Official Ardbeg releases from the 1980s are increasingly difficult to find, particularly well-preserved examples such as this. As interest in historic Islay single malts continues to grow, these pre-modern Ardbeg bottlings remain highly prized by both collectors and drinkers seeking to experience a style of whisky that can never be recreated.
Founded in 1815, Ardbeg is one of Islay’s iconic distilleries. Ardbeg was purchased by Diageo forerunners DCL and Hiram Walker in 1973, with Walker taking full control in 1977, the year the distillery’s maltings were closed. Ardbeg was mothballed for most of the 1980s; production began again in 1989 under new owners Allied Lyons, but only for two months a year until 1996 when the distillery closed again. In 1997 the dilapidated Ardbeg distillery was bought by Glenmorangie plc (now part of LVMH) and its fortunes turned. Ardbeg was restored and relaunched, kickstarting the craze for heavily peated single malt whisky.
Ardbeg was seldom commercially available before the Allied/DCL takeover - the old white label official bottlings are now very rare. Allied bottled a handful of black label Ardbegs in the 1990s including the popular Ardbeg 30-year-old. The breakthrough bottlings were the Ardbeg 17-year-old and Ardbeg 1974 Provenance released by Glenmorangie in 1997 - these were soon followed by numerous magnificent single casks from 1970s vintages that cemented Ardbeg’s reputation. Independent Ardbeg is uncommon nowadays.
Distillery bottlings are, as the name suggests, bottled by or for the distillery from which the whisky has originated and are thus often referred to as Official Bottlings or OBs. Distillery bottlings are generally more desirable for collectors and usually fetch higher prices at auction than independent bottlings. They are officially-endorsed versions of the whisky from a particular distillery and are therefore considered the truest expression of the distillery’s character.
This ideal of the distillery character is regarded so seriously by the distilleries and brand owners that casks of whisky that are considered to vary too far from the archetype are frequently sold on to whisky brokers and independent bottlers. When this happens, it is often with the proviso that the distillery’s name is not allowed to be used when the cask is bottled for fear of diminishing or damaging the distillery’s character and status.
| BID | DATE | TIME | |
|---|---|---|---|
| £145.00 | 18th June 2026 | 07:33 PM | |
No Product Found
No Product Found