Ardnamurchan 6yo 2019/2026

Ardnamurchan 6yo 2019/2026

#24, The Heart Cut
Single malt - Western Highlands
Orange gold
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cedar, olive brine, smoke, peat, germolene, popcorn, honey, hints of dried apricots. With water, honey, dried apricots, magic marker. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, cool, astringent. 
Tasting: Sour salty. Cedar, popcorn, smoke, peat, germolene, lemon zest, grapefruit, hints of gentian. With water, honey, dried apricots, pears, germolene. 
Finish: Medium. Grapefruit, gentian, popcorn, smoke. 

Comments: 

Quite a smoky whisky as Ardnamurchan goes. Lots of bitter citrus alongside all that smoke and peat. Water opens up a fruitiness that is quite intense, dried apricots are especially prominent.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardnamurchan Sherry Cask 2024

Ardnamurchan Sherry Cask 2024

Official bottling
Single malt - Western Highlands
Amber brown
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coffee, raisins, dark chocolate, orange peel, malted grains, hints of roast beef, hints of driftwood smoke. With water, driftwood smoke, roast beef, raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Malted grains, dark chocolate, orange peel, black pepper, fresh baked bread, hints of driftwood smoke. With water, coffee, dark chocolate, hints of roast beef. 
Finish: Long. Walnut skins, coffee, black pepper, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Deep spicy notes with a lick of salty smoke that intensifies when water is added. On the tongue, water brings out even more bitterness, and the fragrance of coffee and chocolate.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardnamurchan 5yo 2019/2024

Ardnamurchan 5yo 2019/2024

Single Cask, Nickolls and Perks
Single malt - Western Highlands
Mahogany
59.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Kippers, smoke, black tea, raisins, blackberry jam, brown butter. With water, raisins, lemon sweets, black tea, brown butter. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Sandalwood, vitamin C tablets, black tea, blackberry jam, hints of cinnamon. With water, black tea, vitamin C tablets, brown butter. 
Finish: Medium. Brown butter, black tea, sea salt, blackberry jam. 

Comments: 

Cask 2080. Fragrant and smoky, lots of herbal incense notes. In the tongue it’s sweet with blackberry jam notes, and overlaying everything is an impression of nutty brown butter. Water brings this out even more.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardnamurchan 9yo 2014/2023

Ardnamurchan 9yo 2014/2023

Limited, Adelphi
Single malt - Western Highlands
Amber gold
56.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, honey, cloves, barley sugar, lemon zest, brown sugar, hints of strawberry jam. With water, strawberry jam, vanilla, honey, barley sugar. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, warm, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Strawberry jam, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, bubble gum, barley sugar, raisins, hints of tarragon. With water, cinnamon, strawberry jam, raisins, honey. 
Finish: Short. Barley sugar, raisins, cocoa nibs, cloves, hints of tarragon. 

Comments: 

Very jammy and spicy Arnamurchan. It’s the oldest I’ve ever had from this distillery, and it does fulfill its promise. I’d say that the cask influence (sherry) is predominant, but there’s some herbal hints that are from the distillate.

Verdict:

I like this.

Ardnagherkin 6yo 2015/2022

Ardnagherkin 6yo 2015/2022

Selection, Adelphi
Single malt - Western Highlands
Light gold, hints of green
59.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, lemon zest, leather, smoke, malted grains, pickle juice, hints of saffron. With water, honey, pickle juice, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Leather, malted grains, pickle juice, smoke, white pepper, hints of new plastic, hints of coriander seed. With water, smoke, green apples, charcoal ash. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, white pepper, lemon zest, smoke, charcoal ash. 

Comments: 

Cask 672. This divided opinion. I come down on the ‘I quite like it’ side. I understand tart salty notes like pickle juice aren’t very usual in whisky, but this appeals to my anarchic ‘anything goes’ tendencies. Not every whisky does, but this one has.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 149.1 (Ardnamurchan 5yo 2015/2021)

SMWS 149.1 (Ardnamurchan 5yo 2015/2021)

2021, SMWS
Single malt - Western Highlands
Dark bronze gold
61.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, malted grains, candied orange peel, overripe peaches, sea salt, lemon sweets. With water, candied orange peel, nutmeg, citron, magic marker. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Lemon sweets, peat, leather, sourdough bread, overripe peaches, rope, hints of smoke. With water, peat, leather, sourdough bread, candied orange peel, citron. 
Finish: Long. Lemon sweets, peat, leather, brass polish, rope. 

Comments: 

Citrusy and complicated, yet laden with sweet fruit, this Ardnamurchan stands out. It’s toasty and a little smoky too, and slightly musty even - but in a good way.  A fitting inaugural bottle for the SMWS. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardnamurchan 6yo 2015/2021 Peated Cask Sample, Cask 760P

Ardnamurchan 6yo 2015/2021 Peated Cask Sample, Cask 706P

Caskshare 
Single malt - Western Highlands 
White wine
Around 52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, driftwood smoke, sandalwood, nutmeg, jasmine, dark chocolate, dried apricots, sea salt. With water, driftwood smoke, roast chicken, malted grains, dark chocolate, jasmine. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Malted grains, driftwood smoke, dried apricots, dried pears, jasmine, lemon zest, hints of dark chocolate. With water, fresh baked bread, dried apricots, dark chocolate, hints of roast chicken. 
Finish: Long. Leather, nutmeg, dried apricots, dried pears, hints of sandalwood. 

Comments: 

Cask 706P. Lots of meaty peaty notes, salty smoke, savoury roast chicken, and sweet dried fruit. Well integrated, and as Ardnamurchan normally is, very complex for a young whisky. Quite delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardnamurchan 5yo 2015/2020 AD/CS.335 07:15

Ardnamurchan 5yo 2015/2020 AD/CS.335 07:15

Official bottling 
Single malt - Western Highlands
Copper
58.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, smoked bacon, raisins, five spice powder, damson jam, dried figs, hints of cumin. With water, raisins, damson jam, five spice powder, hints of smoked bacon. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Smoke, peat, raisins, mint, dried figs, black tea, sea salt, hints of cumin. With water, raisins, damson jam, five spice powder, smoke. 
Finish: Medium. Sea salt, mint, raisins, five spice powder. 

Comments: 

A little bit more smoky than other Ardnamurchans, this one also has some sweet jammy notes, coupled with five spice powder, and oddly, cumin. It’s quite savoury as a result, bringing forth notes of smoked bacon and impressions of roast lamb and char siu pork. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardnamurchan AD/12:14 CK.440 (FC Whisky Denmark Exclusive)

Ardnamurchan AD/12:14 CK.440 (FC Whisky Denmark Exclusive)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Western Highlands
Pale amber 
59.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sandalwood, cotton sheets, sage, pu erh tea, orange peel, sea salt. With water, orange peel, mint, pu erh tea, aluminium foil. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slippery, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Orange peel, red grapes, raisins, sea salt, Chinese angelica, fresh cut grass. With water, Chinese angelica, pu erh tea, sea salt, sandalwood, aluminium foil. 
Finish: Long. Chinese angelica, fresh cut grass, orange peel, sage, sea salt. 

Comments: 

Ardnamurchan is always intense and coastal. No different with this one, it’s got lots of herbal notes, including the bittersweet savoury notes Chinese medicinal herbs have. There’s also some earthy pu erh tea, and some metallic notes dancing on the edge of the tongue. Very good, young Ardna can stand up to whisky of much greater age. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardnamurchan AD/04.21.03

Ardnamurchan AD/04.21.03

Official bottling 
Single malt - Western Highlands 
Pale pink gold

46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange juice, white grapes, vanilla, fresh baked bread, honey, hints of smoke, hints of camphor. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, airy, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Fresh baked bread, sea salt, honey, champagne, dried pears, watermelon, hints of camphor, hints of germolene. 
Finish: Short. Champagne, dried pears, honey, hints of leather, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Lovely nose, lots of intense alluring flavours, rather sweeter than I’d expect of Ardnamurchan. On the tongue however, it’s a bit washed out, faint and rather harder to appreciate than the nose. Ardnamurchan is always promising, this one maybe a little less.

Verdict:

I like this.

Ardnamurchan AD/04:21 Paul Launois Release

Ardnamurchan AD/04:21 Paul Launois Release

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands 
Light copper
57.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberries, green tea, brown paper, peaches, honey, orange peel, hints of rose water. With water, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, astringent.  
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Vanilla, peaches, white grapes, orange peel, green tea, honey, toast, hints of malted grains. With water, malted grains, honey, peaches, toast, hints of sandalwood. 
Finish:  Medium. Malted grains, toast, orange peel, hints of honey. 

Comments: 

Well finished in champagne and bourbon casks, this whisky is floral and fruity. There’s not much of the cereally Ardnamurchan character, but the finishing adds rather than detracts. A good and refreshing dram. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Ardnamurchan 5yo 2015/2020 Maclean & Bruce bottling

Ardnamurchan 5yo 2015/2020 Maclean & Bruce bottling

Limited, Adelphi 
Single malt - West Highlands 
Dark amber red
59.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, orange peel, peat, honey, roast pork, raisins, sea salt, hints of smoke. With water, raisins, orange peel, watermelon rind. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Leather, peat, orange peel, raisins, peanuts, fresh baked bread. With water, peat, brown paper, peanuts, raisins, watermelon rind. 
Finish: Long. Peanuts, peat, tarry rope, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Cask 333 and 332. Not strictly an IB I suppose, but there’s a story behind that. Anyway, the liquid in the bottle is highly enjoyable, lots of leather and peat but also hugely sweet. Somehow the peat is really obvious and forward, compared to the previous Ardnamurchans I’ve had, but it’s delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ardnamurchan 2014 6yo Cask Sample (First Fill Bourbon Barrel)

Ardnamurchan 2014 6yo Cask Sample (First Fill Bourbon Barrel)

Official bottling 
Single malt - West Highlands
Yellow gold
58.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Green tea, lemon zest, lemon sweets, cloudberry jam, kiwifruit, malted grains, hints of jasmine. With water, starfruit, lemon zest, hints of green tea. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Lemon zest, white grapes, starfruit, cucumbers, honey, hints of sourdough bread. With water, slightly sweeter, cloudberry jam, lemon sweets, starfruit, hints of farmyard. 
Finish: Medium. Cooked rice, honey, white grapes, starfruit. 

Comments: 

Not bottled yet. This is quite tart, with bitter tannic green tea notes and tropical fruit. Not that much funk, surprisingly. It opens up beautifully with water, becoming a little sweeter, and fruitier. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardnamurchan AD/01.21:01

Ardnamurchan AD/01.21:01

Official bottling 
Single malt - West Highlands 
Golden
46.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, leather, lemon sweets, hay, farmyard, sultanas, mangoes, orange peel, hints of candle wax. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, cool, loosens, slightly slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Orange peel, candle wax, honey, sea salt, white grapes, ginseng, malted grains, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Short. Leather, white grapes, malted grains, lemon sweets, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

This is really decent, waxy and fruity spirit, with more than a hint of farmyard funk. The peatiness is really obvious, compared to the inaugural bottling, and there’s a bitter edge to it. Very enjoyable indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardnamurchan AD/09.20:01 2020

Ardnamurchan AD/09.20:01 2020

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Silver gold
46.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pineapples, cucumber, leather, peat, honeydew melons, hints of mint. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, astringent, hot.  
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Leather, peat, mint, cucumber, pineapples, white grapes, sultanas, hints of tobacco leaf. 
Finish: Long. Leather, ginseng, lemons, white grapes, mint.  

Comments: 

This is the Ardnamurchan inaugural bottling. It’s redolent of fruit, leather and peat, but the fruit combination is rather interesting, and uncommon. There’s more tropical fruit than anything else, pineapples and melon predominate, but it’s not sweet. In fact it’s rather bitter, and quite enjoyable. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardnamurchan 2015 Cask Sample (Cask 670P)

Ardnamurchan 2015 Cask Sample (Cask 670P)

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Amber
63.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, leather, red grapes, black tea, red wine, prunes, raisins. With water, red grapes, orange peel, leather, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, sticky, warm, spicy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black tea, red grapes, prunes, leather, ginseng, coffee. With water, leather, red grapes, raisins, ginseng. 
Finish: Long. Red grapes, black tea, coffee, dark chocolate, hints of lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Well now. This is the sister cask to the previous Ardnamurchan, and this is definitely sherry. It's also peated, and it's intense and sweet, with plenty of tannins. Lemon zest is definitely evident on the nose and the finish - is this a distillery characteristic? It's very pleasant stuff. Again, the distillery product is very promising.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ardnamurchan 2015 Cask Sample (cask 199)

Ardnamurchan 2015 Cask Sample (cask 199)

Official bottling
Single malt - West Highlands
Pale green
63.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, green tea, jasmine, lemon zest, honey, hints of lavender. With water, peanuts, lemon zest, lime juice, hints of lavender. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Lemon zest, peanuts, jasmine, orange peel, honey, green tea. With water, green tea, ginseng, lemon zest, honey. 
Finish: Long. Peanuts, ginseng, orange peel, lemon zest, vanilla. 

Comments: 

First dram from Ardnamurchan! It's really very nice indeed, light, floral, fruity, with some light tannins. It's gentle, and somehow fragile, even loose. I can't really discern the cask type, probably bourbon? Very promising stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.