Ardbeg 1992 Douglas Laing 12 Year Old Rum Cask Finish / Park Avenue Liquor

Ardbeg 1992 Douglas Laing 12 Year Old Rum Cask Finish / Park Avenue Liquor
The Old Malt Cask series is one of the most established independent labels on the market. It was launched by Douglas Laing in 1998 and bottled by them until 2013 when the brand became part of the Hunter Laing portfolio instead.
This Ardbeg was distilled in March 1992 and bottled in 2004. The cask was finished for 6 months in a rum barrel and selected exclusively by Park Avenue Liquor Shop in New York.
You would not think it to see it now, but Ardbeg had a difficult time of it for much of the 20th century. The distillery was bought in a joint venture between Hiram Walker and DCL in 1959, both intending to supply their blends. The subsequent years were very successful, but DCL backed out in 1979 (closing many of their other distilleries a few years later), and Hiram Walker then struggled in the 1980s era oversupply when interest in blended Scotch was waning. They closed it down for the majority of the decade. It re-opened briefly in the 1990s before being revived for good by Glenmorangie plc in 1997. The lack of demand in the period prior to this, thankfully, saw a lot of casks sold to independent bottlers, many of which have gone on to become legendary releases.