A bottle of Ardbeg whisky from 1974 – specifically, Single Cask Ardbeg #2742, filled on June 14, 1974 and bottled on September 20, 2005 – sold for $39,893 at auction, the most-ever paid for a bottle from the Islay distillery.
Single Cask Ardbeg #2742 was one of 36 bottles from cask #2742, which were originally intended to only be made available to hotel bars around the world, meaning most – if not all – of the remaining 35 bottles were likely to have been already opened and consumed.
Additionally, 1974 was the final year Ardbeg is said to have exclusively used on-site peated malt – making it one of the final ‘old school’ Ardbegs. After 1974, the use of external peated malt altered Ardbeg’s style and taste.
The winning bid for Single Cask Ardbeg #2742 came from a collector from Switzerland.
