Momentous Minutes - The Ardbeg Project

Momentous MinutesIssue 6 October 2004right, that’s your lot!Lots of lots, but what exactly are theseodd objects? Go to the Committee Room atardbeg.com for the answers.LOT 25: i) a long weight?ii) a nescient tube?iii) a dooker?LOT 33: i) a head retainer?ii) an anti-collapse valve?iii) a stumble gauge?LOT 32: i) a malt head?ii) a gravity feed?iii) a loud pump?As visitors to the annual Islay Malt & MusicFestival know, Ardbeg Day is consideredby many (at Ardbeg) to be the highlightof the festival. Last year, Clann an Drummaraised the roof with their drums and pipes.So how could we possibly top sucha spectacle? Committee Members wereexpecting something special and as we’vealways been happy to do their bidding,a grand Auction seemed the perfect choice.Having set up our Mart on the lawn,complete with livestock, our auctioneer forthe day – local teacher, Callum Murray –girded his gavel (well, two cask bungs) andset about finding new homes for all mannerof Ardbeggian artefacts.Yogi, Aza, Dugga and Drew lookedresplendent in their white porters’ coatsand did a grand job of parading the lotscontinued…

continued…Rory’s Rein of Terroraround the ring. Those of note included anold cast iron bath. Was this the legendarybath where Jim ‘Spike’ McGilvray kept hissecret supply of new make spirit? (SeeMomentous Minutes Issue 3 for details.)Difficult to get on the plane and nigh onimpossible to get past the airport metaldetector, the bath did not sell on the dayand remains at Ardbeg where offers are stillwelcome. However, there were plenty ofhappy and satisfied bidders. CommitteeMember Klaus Pinkernell, who runsCadenhead’s Whisky Market in Berlin, bidfor and bought an array of items with whichto adorn his shop including the extremelyheavy and unwieldy anti-collapse valve –a snip at £5. He was also the successfulrecipient of the ‘Mystery Box’ which hedeclared to be a tremendous bargain at £130,for it contained commemorative staves, anIan Gray painting, an Ardbeg Shop sign,a 30 year old Ardbeg and something‘unmentionable’, among other wonderfulthings. The day was a great success and intotal, the Auction raised over £1,000 ofwhich 40% was donated to local Islaycharities. Auctions apart, there’s alwayslots of fun to be had at Ardbeg.Still available for sale, or even for setting sail.As demonstrated beautifully by Yogi and Drew.The entrance to the Ardbeg Distillery ispresently guarded by a local pony calledRory. We would like to warn visitors thatthey should not be taken in by theapparently mild-mannered equine whogreets them on arrival. Oxymoronic as itmay sound, Rory is in fact a ferocious pony.This was drawn to our attention during ourrecent shop refurbishment, when threestrapping lads from the joinery firm wereThe UltimateExpression?Any Committee Member worth his malt willknow how important it is to demonstrateloyalty to Ardbeg, and in true Ardbeggianspirit, Members across the world have beendoing just that in highly commendable ways.We have heard about the Ardbeg Guesthousenear Edinburgh and the two CommitteeMembers who gave Ardbeg to their baby asa middle name.Yet surely the ultimate expression of anyone’spassion for Ardbeg is to tattoo oneself,as Henrik Dahlberg did (pictured right).This serious act of dedication prompted usto consider how many other CommitteeMembers would be prepared to follow suit,albeit in a less permanent fashion. To thisend, we have supplied all CommitteeMembers with a tattoo transfer which canbe easily applied to (and removed from) anypart of the anatomy. Thus your challenge isto send us a photograph of you displayingyour tattoo in an unusual place†.sent into Rory’s field to erect our newwelcome sign. Welcome they were not,however: Islay’s resident bronco (also widelyknown as a ‘bad tempered sod’) proceeded tonudge, nuzzle and make such a nuisance ofhimself that the team were unable to leavethe field for at least 35 minutes. Theirterrifying ordeal was finally brought to anend when the farmer’s wife was called in andthe boys were released, thankfully unharmed.Please send the photograph to ‘TheUltimate Expression’, Ardbeg Distillery,Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, Argyll, PA42 7EAScotland, or email it to us atoldkiln@ardbeg.com. The best entry will berewarded with an expression of theUltimate Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky*.†A few suggestions: Shoulderblade(Kentucky), Long Nose (Wales), Left Hand(West Virginia) or Tongue (Scotland)

There’s something inthe waterThe next time you’re wandering throughPort Ellen, don’t be surprised if you findyourself seeing double. We can assure youthat the whisky, in this instance, is unlikelyto be the cause.Any symptoms of diplopia are more likelyto be due to the rather surprising fact thatPort Ellen, with a population of just 900,has more than six sets of twins. In fact,it has seven. Indeed, our own Dugga andYogi both have twin sons.However, if twins are doubly likely on Islay,they are also doubly hardy, as demonstratedrecently by (twins) Kevin and David, alongwith several young friends. In a howlinggale, with a teeth-chattering wind chillfactor of minus six, our intrepid twosomewere spotted merrily jumping off the PortEllen dockside into the freezing sea,doubtless risking a couple of doses ofdouble pneumonia. When asked to confirmwhether this was a regular form ofrecreation, Kevin (or was it David?) retorted,“Only when the weather’s good.”Make minea doubleTwice the FunAll this twin talk leads us nicely onto thesubject of this year’s nominations forArdbeg’s twin town 2005. As Members know,the first Ardbeg twin town to be named wasKielce in Poland, as put forward by TadeusZolnierczyk. Subsequently, a rather fetchingplaque was unveiled at the Islay Festivalof Malt & Music in May and now hangsproudly in the Old Kiln Café. Many thanksto those of you who nominated your hometown last year and please feel free to enteragain this time. All that is required is a lettergiving us reasons, tenuous or otherwise,why you believe your town or city shouldbe twinned with Ardbeg. Photographicevidence will be gratefully received, closelyscrutinized and may appear in future editionsof Momentous Minutes. Please write to ushere at Ardbeg Distillery, Port Ellen, Islay,Argyll PA42 7EA Scotland. (To see previousentries visit ardbeg.com, go to theCommittee Room and download the PDF ofMomentous Minutes Issue 5.)A Homing InstinctThe outbuildings at Ardbeg are treasuretroves stuffed to the gunnels with ancientphotographs, copious copies of old lettersand various other dusty documents. Muchinformation on what life was like in the olddays of Ardbeg can be gleaned from theselong abandoned annals.A recent rummage uncovered a trulywonderful find, pictured right. If the facelooks familiar, you’ll have no doubt visitedthe distillery and met the man himself,Duigan Campbell, albeit, an older version.Duigan also makes a vocal appearance onour website in our Gigs and Yarns section.Far be it from us to suggest that Duigan hasan eye for the birds, but the evidence wouldsuggest more than a passing ornithologicalinterest…The story goes that Duigan started workingat Ardbeg at the age of 16 but in 1953found himself called up to the RAF. Basedin Pitreavie Castle in Fife, he was accordedthe role of senior aircraftsman. Alas, he wasnever given a chance to fly himself onaccount of the fact that the job of a senioraircraftsman was based firmly on the ground.Once discharged from the RAF, Duigan’shoming instinct took him straight back toArdbeg. Upon arrival, the ‘birdman ofArdbeg’ painted the barrel himself torecord his time away and his return, havinga love of painting and drawing, as well asa love of pigeons. (Duigan raised severalpouters and fantails from squabs.)The head cooper at the time, JohnFerguson, was so impressed with Duigan’shandiwork that he proclaimed the barrelshould be kept in the workshop, where itremains to this day… somewhere. As we’vestated, our troves are somewhat knee-deepin treasures. We can only surmise that ourpenchant for hoarding must be inextricablylinked with our fondness for whisky making– once we’ve stored something, whether itbe whisky or ephemera, it generally staysput for a very long time.So if you ever have the same instinct to visitevery Committee Member’s ‘spiritual’home (the Ardbeg Distillery), ask to takea look at Duigan’s barrel and you can helpus take a look for it. Now where did we putthe key to the workshop…The Birdman of Ardbeg

You’re first in the queueThe good news is, we are pleased toformally announce that the next batch ofCommittee Reserve rolled into Warehouse3 in May. The bad news is it won’t berolling out again until 2014 (you’ll recallthe last bottling was a sell out within days).But fear not. In order that CommitteeMembers enjoy the privileges their statusdeserves, we’re giving you advance warning.10 years’ notice to be precise!Q. Why did the Wallaby cross the road?A. To cross over to the other sidePast issues of Momentous Minutes haveoften made reference to Islay’s variousindigenous species – mainly sheep, deerand puppies. However, earlier this yeara mysterious foreigner was found on theisland: a wallaby (or technically, anex-wallaby) which turned up on the lowroad, not far from the airport.Theories have been abounding as to thecircumstances of our Australian visitor’sappearance on Islay. The odd wallaby hasbeen spotted near Loch Lomond in thepast, where a small colony was introducedsome years ago. But short of hopping ona ferry or a plane (which seems unlikely if notimpossible), we have been at a loss to find anexplanation for how this small marsupialcame to be on the island. An airportspokesman pointed out: “We get 20,000passengers a year but we have never had anywallabies. It’s a bit of a mystery really.”Indeed.The Brightest BoatAfloatIt’s no secret that the lads at the distillerylike a spot of fishing, especially off the oldstone pier round the back. After weeks ofpreparation Dugga launched his newfishing boat at Swan’s Pool – a beautifulspot and one of Islay’s closely guardedsecrets, just 3 miles along the coast fromthe distillery.If you’re ever on the island and wonderinghow to spot Dugga’s boat, don’t worry.You can’t miss it – seriously. It’s the yellowone. The extremely bright yellow one.In fact, if anyone at the distillery needs tofind Dugga all they have to do is look outto sea and he is often visible, even withoutthe aid of a telescope.And the name of this conspicuous vessel?Er, well it doesn’t have one at the moment.But there’s no mistaking which boat it isand to whom it belongs. We say God bless‘er and all that swig whisky in ‘er!Still(man) clocking onIn 1964, 19 year old Alex “Wardie” Woodrow,raised in the little village of Ardbeg sincethe age of two, followed in his father’sfootsteps and began working for hislocal distillery.40 years and 15 million litres of maltwhisky spirit later (not all consumed byWardie, the Chairman hastens to pointout), our longest serving member is stillgoing strong. This year we proudlycelebrate Wardie’s extraordinary career atBig hand, little hand, old handwww.ardbeg.comArdbeg, which was only briefly interruptedwhen the distillery was mothballed andhe experienced a temporary stint as agardener. Fortunately, Wardie returnedto his spiritual – and spirit-producing –home in 1989.“I was very happy to return as Stillman…It’s a great place to work and I am lookingforward to toasting the past 40 years witha dram or two!” said Wardie.If Members wish to celebrate with us, wesuggest they do so by raising a glass,sinking a dram and drinking to Wardie’snext 40 years. Well, it is the water of lifeafter all…I verify that the minutes recorded here are correct and complete, and I am pleased to endorsetheir publication and circulation to Members of the Ardbeg Committee.Stuart Thomson, Chairman.*Unfortunately, we cannot dispatch Ardbeg to North America. In the event that the winner resides there a voucher or other Ardbeg merchandise will be offered.

never to be re(peat)edFor peat’s sake, how on earth did that happen?“What would Ardbeg taste like without thepeat?” is a question that may or maynot have crossed all Members’ minds atsome point. It’s a question that wasdestined to be left unanswered – until now.For, although we can safely say that Ardbegis the peatiest malt onIslay, for a few brief weeksback in 1980, this wasn’tthe case at all.This very question musthave plagued distillerymanager Hamish Scott,and to satisfy his curiosity,small batches of un-peatedand lightly peated maltwere produced at thedistillery’s maltings. Theproduct of his inquisitiveness, 24 years on,is very limited quantities of a rather specialwhisky, christened Kildalton.So at last, the question can be answered.By removing the peat, according to ourChief Noser, Rachel Barrie, the fruityflavours of the purifier on the still arebrought to the fore along with the waxinessof the wooden washbacks and more of thegrainy flavours of the barley itself.This produces an immensely sweet, fruityand floral expression ofArdbeg which we knowmany Members will be keento compare to traditionalArdbeg for themselves.You can get your handson Kildalton by writingto ‘Kildalton’, ArdbegDistillery, Port Ellen, Islay,Argyll, PA42 7EA Scotlandenclosing a cheque for£95 + p&p (£8 UK, £12Europe, £20 International) or your creditcard details. You can also phone us on+44 (0) 1496 300 303. And remember,only 1300 bottles of this unrepeatableexperience exist. So for peat’s sake, makesure you don’t miss out.Kildalton is an old gaelic word circa 9th Century meaning ‘step child’ or ‘foster child’.Will you adopt this expression as your own?Smoky• burnt wood smoke –Chris (from Nuneaton)• peat – most of youSweet• cocoa – Gordon Homer•molasses – John Jones•marshmallows –Norbert Milz & Sven Wedig•sweet tar –Patrick JohanssonWheely tastyThanks to your prolific feedback, Very YoungArdbeg is no longer ‘For Discussion’, but‘Committee Approved’ and a legitimate andpermanent member of the Ardbeg family.As promised, here is the Very Young ArdbegTasting Wheel (of sorts) for your perusal,complete with Members’ comments below:Spicy• eucalyptus – Norbert Milz& Sven WedigSalty• seasalt – P R Hammarland(amongst others)• seaweed – Alan Messini•iodine – Gordon Homer• antiseptic ointment –John Wright

It’s a lock-inThe experience of being locked in a pitchblack room might be considereda nightmare by some. Not by a wanderingJapanese whiskyphile however, who gotmore than he bargained for when ona recent group visit to the distillery.The party was assembled outside the OldKiln Café and, along with the distinctivepeaty aroma, a buzz of excitement filled theair as Stuart Thomson readied himself tostrike out on his famously entertainingtour of the distillery.Apprehension…Realisation…All seemed to be going well. The visitorswended their way by the washbacks. Theywere stirred by the stills. They thenproceeded to Warehouse No. 3 where thingsdid not go according to plan.After marvelling at the abundant hogsheads,barrels and casks, carefully racked andstowed, the party duly made their way tothe exit and Stuart locked the door behindthem. It was only upon the party’s return tothe Old Kiln Café that it was noticed thegroup was short by one. The alarm wasraised and a search party hastily formed.A short while later, the door to thewarehouse was unlocked and flung open.Our absentee emerged grinning from earto ear, telling us that to be trapped in thedark with around half a million gallons ofArdbeg was a veritable dream come true.Apologies all the same.“The third glass is thebest glass! Try it”Richard Scoular,Committee Member 5457“Burns like hell!But very nice”M.J. Zantun, HollandExpressions of Delight…“So far the first distilleryallowing free tastingwithout touring. Keep upthat spirit!”Karin Thelander, Sweden“Your malts are thegreatest to be foundanywhere on earth”Chris Mongiello,New Jersey…Disappearing ExpressionsThis letter from 1922 records “a choke in the beaters” affecting the distillery machinery.Just goes to show that amazing expressions have always been evident at Ardbeg.Stumbling on ArdbegThere is a question that has been occupying ourthoughts at the distillery for some time: where,when and why did you first encounter Ardbeg?Did you stumble upon this magnificent maltby chance, or did you discover it under theinfluence of some munificent guiding figure?Alwyn Pritchard of Harrogate has already toldus of his epiphany: “I first met Ardbeg ata shop on the front at Brodick (Arran) andhave preferred it to all others ever since.”If like him you are at ardbeg.com in the nearfuture, please call into the Committee Roomand recount your memories in Expressionsof Delight. We’d love to hear your story.Being Chief Article takes a lot of bottleIn which case, Thomas Beckmann is wellqualified for the post, for he has 47 differentArdbeg bottlings and over 80 bottles in all.He made his first purchase in 1996 andhasn’t looked back since. The oldestArdbeg in his collection is a 32 year oldDouglas Laing bottling (distilled in 1967)and his youngest is, of course, Very YoungArdbeg at just six years old.On a recent visit to the distillery, anenthusiastic Thomas told us, “My favouriteArdbegs at the moment are: ArdbegUigeadail, Ardbeg 1977 and a 28 year old1972/2000 Douglas Laing bottling.”It is such an impressive collection that wewould like to inaugurate Thomas as the nextChief Article. Therefore, if any of you knowof any reason why this fan and his anorakmay not be brought together (i.e. you havemore bottles in your own collection) pleasespeak now.Then again, for sheer canniness, anotherstrong contender is Mr. Mark Hallberg, theAmerican Vice President of a medicalinstruments company based in Tokyo.Long an Ardbeg fan and CommitteeMember, he travelled thousands of miles toArdbeg in June, blissfully unaware that, asthe annual Islay Malt & Music Festival wasin full swing, he was highly unlikely to finda bed for the night.Upon arriving at the distillery his predicamentsoon came to light and his plight explained tohim. Taking pity on their visitor, the girls rangaround and managed to secure him the verylast bed on the island.If you feel your own endeavours beat thoseof Thomas and Mark, please feel free to putyour case forward at The Chief Article pageat ardbeg.com.Ardbeg Distillery, Port Ellen, Islay, Argyll PA42 7EA