Ardmore

Ardmore is the heart malt of the Teacher’s blends, and was built by Adam Teacher son of the founder, who died shortly before the distillery was completed in 1897/8. It was the family’s first venture into distilling – in order to secure spirit supply for their successful Highland Cream brand introduced 1884. The company would later buy Glendronach Distillery 1960.

Two stills were added in 1955, and four more in 1974, for a total of eight. The distillery had its own maltings until the mid-1970s, and its own cooperage until the late 1980s. Until early 2001 it used coal to fire the stills.

When Allied was dismembered in 2006, Teacher’s, Ardmore and Laphroaig went to Beam and in 2014 it became part of the new Beam Suntory portfolio. Its importance for its blend has meant that Ardmore has never had a presence as single malt. A quarter cask-finished bottling appeared a couple of years after Laphroaig Quarter Cask, but remained a small-scale release.