The Ardbeg House was in our sights… meaning we arrived (just about) into Port Ellen on the Kintyre Express from Ballycastle, for four days on Islay adventure ahead and already slightly questioning life choices thanks to the ropy crossing.
Sea legs still wobbling, we dandered up the road and there it was the newly opened Ardbeg House.
And when I say newly opened… I mean brand new. Ten days in. No press launch had happened… barely broken in. And now a few months later got named The Times ‘Hotel of the Year’, not sure how that happened.
Ardbeg House: Style Over Substance?
We walked in with big stupid grins on our face and wide eyes looking for the bar, with zero direction, no host, no signage, no clue. Eventually found the bar, got greeted, handed menus, water… and then left to our own devices.
Ten minutes passed. Then a bit more.
When someone finally came back, we asked two very simple things:
- What’s the story with breakfast? Pointing to the room that had a breakfast buffet style laid out.
- Can we get a drink?
Answer:
- Breakfast finished at 10
- Drinks start at 11 (the law is the law)
Time: 10:15.
Tough crowd…
So there we were, sitting in a whisky hotel, having just been given their whisky and cocktail menus, unable to order whisky. Just admiring laminated dreams.
We even offered to buy some of the breakfast pastries and fruit sitting beside us, untouched and heading for the bin by the looks of it.
Flat no.
Ardbeg House Design: Bold, Mad and Completely On Brand
Ardbeg House doesn’t do subtle.
This is design that leans hard into the brand smoky, chaotic, a bit rebellious. You’ve got blown-glass chandeliers that look like they’ve been dragged out of the Atlantic, industrial tables built from gears and scrap, and sinks made from tyres that somehow still feel premium.
It feels like it is trying to be an edgy polished luxury hotel. It’s trying to feel like Ardbeg in physical form — bold, slightly unhinged, and memorable.
And that’s the key thing: you might not love every detail, but you’ll remember all of it.
What to drink in the Ardbeg House on Islay
After about 45 minutes of sitting, chatting, and waiting we finally got served. YAAAY!
Enter: Badger Juice.
What is it?
Good question.
Even the staff serving us wasn’t entirely sure. But it was whisky, and at that point we weren’t asking many more questions.
And to be fair it was solid. Proper Islay stuff. Big, smoky, doing what Ardbeg does best.
We had a couple, regrouped, grabbed the bags, and headed for Bowmore.
What is Badger Juice in the Ardbeg Hotel?
Obviously the internet helped fill us in:
Badger Juice is a small-batch Ardbeg whisky exclusive to the hotel, and you won’t find it anywhere else on Islay or anywhere in the world for that matter. The name itself has been floating around the whisky community for years (badger being an anagram of Ardbeg), but it finally came to life here, served daily at 18:15, a nod to Ardbeg’s founding year.
What makes Badger Juice even more intriguing is the mystery around it. It’s made to a secret recipe known only to the Ardbeg distillery team, adding to the allure and making it one of the most unique whisky experiences on Islay. It’s not just about the liquid either the whisky is poured from a hand-painted badger firkin, turning it into a proper talking point in the bar.
For anyone doing an Islay whisky trip or visiting the Ardbeg Distillery, this is one of those rare whisky experiences that genuinely feels special. Limited, exclusive, and a bit of craic – exactly what you want when you’re chasing something different in the world of Scotch whisky.
A second vist to the Ardbeg Hotel: A Completely Different Energy
A few nights later, we went back.
Different place entirely: Buzzing. Full. Proper energy about it.
We grabbed seats at the bar, had a cocktail… and then went straight back to Badger Juice. No point overthinking it.
But even with the atmosphere lifted, there was still that underlying feeling: This place isn’t fully there yet.
Should you stay at the Ardbeg Hotel?
Ardbeg House has everything going for it:
- One of the strongest whisky brands in the world
- A location on Islay that sells itself
- An interior that’s genuinely memorable (or part of a fever dream, I am sure your hangover will let you know)
- Backing from LVMH– ‘a world leader in high quality products’
But right now?
It feels like it’s still finding its sea legs.
Service wasn’t quite dialled in. Systems weren’t tight. Staff still learning the script.
Some will say “aww that’s fair enough it had been open all of ten days” but when it’s £500+ a night and currently a two night minumum stay with a premium price in the bar it should be hitting the ground running.
How it got voted ‘Hotel of the Year’ is beyond me as nice as it could and will be it does not deserve this accolade.
I hope it matures with time and ages exactly what it was designed to be:
A flagship whisky destination on Islay.
Right now though?
It’s a brilliant concept… still in need of a fair few more years aging.
But give it a miss and go to one of the amazing pubs or drink in the Ardbeg Distillery even.