Ardbeg is a Scottish whisky producer with one of the oldest distilleries on the island of Islay. It is renowned as one of the peatiest whiskies in the world, and was the first whisky to travel into space. Whisky has been made on the site since 1798, and it was produced commercially for the first time in 1815, the same year as its near-neighbor Laphroaig began. Ardbeg achieved success early, with strong demand for its spirit for use in blending but, from 1838, the distillery entered a protracted phase of ownership changes and bankruptcies, until it was finally closed in 1981. It reopened in 1989, but was only operational for two months each year. Finally, in 1997, it was bought by Glenmorangie and production resumed on a fulltime basis.