In my role as Committee Chair, it is my duty to inform you of the latest happenings here on Islay. This year, as ever, it’s been all go at the Distillery. From the grand spectacle of Ardbeg Day to barbeques built entirely from found materials, the many hands of Ardbeg have been busy in 2024. 

We like to think of our seasonal team of staff as a bit of a Swiss Army knife. Other than being incredibly talented workers for Ardbeg, they’ve all got their own irons in the fire.

It might not occur to you in the moment, but the person serving you in the café or Visitor Centre might also be an Oscar winning film editor. Or perhaps a politician, diplomat, psychologist or PR consultant? All of whom can make a mean bacon sarnie and talk about Ardbeg till the cows come home. 

We’ve got history buffs, butter churners, cake bakers and Spanish speakers. We’ve got talent in absolute spades at Ardbeg. So, I’d just like to thank them all personally for making the Distillery such an interesting, vibrant place to both visit and work. We couldn’t do it without you! 

Daniel Branson, our talented Mechanical Engineer at the Distillery, has been fixing things at Ardbeg for over three years. Daniel’s ingenuity helps keep t he entire production process running smoothly.

Famed for his ability to fix almost anything, Daniel never turns down a challenge. That's why he decided to build a barbecue for the Distillery. But this wasn’t just any old barbecue, this was a precision-engineered marvel made almost entirely from recycled materials.

The old stillhouse provided most of the hardware for his creation. He ingeniously repurposed the old wash still crane as the air vent, transformed the seal pot from the spirit still condenser into the smoker chamber, and even managed to incorporate the old sight windows from the spirit and wash stills.

It took about three weeks and plenty of head-scratching, but the barbecue has since been put to good use during the week of the Fèis Ìle, where it was used to smoke delicious food for over 120 people. It even received the seal of approval from certified pitmaster DJ BBQ, who prepared a feast for journalists on Ardbeg Day . Making the pilgrimage to Islay next summer? Look out for an opportunity to experience Ardbeggian dishes prepared on Daniel’s one-of-one BBQ masterpiece.

Committee Member Gary Jenkins, AKA Rocket, has several passions in life. Ardbeg whisky is one, his beloved football team, Burnley FC, is another, but perhaps his most impressive pastime is bagging Scottish Munros (mountains over 914 metres). 

Accompanied by his girlfriend Lindsey, Rocket embarked upon an ambitious challenge to bag as many Munros as possible, climbing at weekends and in all weathers. The collision of his passions occurs at the peak of each mountain when he and Lindsey break open an Ardbeg and pour a dram of their favourite malt into their Ardbeg mugs. Inhaling smoky fumes on top of the world, we can’t think of a better way to drink it! 

If you’d like to follow Gary and Lindsey on their adventures, check them out on Instagram: @rocketsardbegmugsmunrojourney

An unexpected visitor swooped in this year. Not a whisky lover, but a racing pigeon! Fragile and skinny, our feathered friend was discovered by Dugga, our Head Warehouseman, who also noticed it had a tag. After some quick research, Dugga contacted the Racing Pigeon Association and tracked down the bird's owner, who was located just across the water in Northern Ireland.

The owner advised Dugga to care for the pigeon by crating and feeding it before releasing it to continue its journey. However, the pigeon has become rather fond of us here, hovering around a little longer than expected. The team hopes to repatriate it by way of a RIB back over the water in the near future, but for now, the Distillery is its new digs.

To be continued, we suppose… 

I verify that the minutes recorded here are correct and complete, and I am pleased to endorse their publication to Members of the Ardbeg Committee.

Jackie Thomson

Ardbeg Committee Chair