i. Biography
The Path
Ardbeg’s house style was shaped in part by Mickey Heads during his years as Distillery Manager from 2007 to 2020. That period tied his name to the Islay distillery’s whisky expressions and to the work of carrying Ardbeg’s character beyond the site itself. The role gave his career its central frame and fixed his association with the distillery in practical terms. In 2020, that link shifted from management to committee leadership, with Mickey Heads becoming chairman of Ardbeg Committee. The change of title did not break the thread; it kept him formally connected to Ardbeg after the distillery-manager chapter had ended. The first role covered day-to-day distillery management, while the second preserved the same attachment through committee stewardship.
The Work Today
Distillery Manager remain the core reference point for Mickey Heads’ work with the distillery. His years as Distillery Manager from 2007 to 2020 are bound to that output, and the association continued when he moved into the chairman role at Ardbeg Committee in 2020. The two positions sit on the same line: one inside the distillery, one alongside it, both tied to the same house style. Mickey Heads’ name stays attached to Ardbeg across both roles, so the work reads less as a sequence of separate posts than as a single, extended stewardship of the distillery’s expression and direction.
Signature
These names are the clearest markers of his time at Ardbeg, and they sit within the distillery’s broader line of whisky expressions. Linked to Mickey Heads’ period as Distillery Manager from 2007 to 2020, they also remain connected to his later role as chairman of Ardbeg Committee.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Mickey
Where did Mickey Heads work before?
Earlier in their career, Mickey Heads worked at Ardbeg.
What recognition has Mickey Heads received?
Distillery Manager of the Year (2014).
