Review by: The Muskox
smoked_herring graciously passed on to me this cask-sample miniature that he got from an online Ardnamurchan tasting (go read his reviews). Ardnamurchan is a brand-new distillery (well, just releasing their first whisky now) in the western Highlands owned and operated by Adelphi. Mr. Herring seemed to enjoy the single-casks he tried, particularly this peated sherry hogshead. Let’s give it a shot!
Distillery: Ardnamurchan.
Bottler: Official bottling.
Region: Highlands.
ABV: 59.5%, cask strength.
Age: 4 years old. Distilled on 10/16/2015. Bottled in 2020.
Cask type: Cask #AD/CK.670-16/10/2015, an Oloroso sherry hogshead.
Color: Dark gold. No colour added, un-chillfiltered.
Nose: Balanced between savoury smoke and spicy oloroso. Ginger ale floats, cherry pie, butter tarts, and chocolate pudding. Creamy fruit notes of banana cream pie, coconut yogurt, and rum-raisin ice cream. Savoury notes of seared steak and char-grilled peppers, and bit medicinal. Burning birch bark and amber maple syrup. A tiny hint of grassiness betrays the whisky’s youth.
Palate: Moderate heat. Grilled peaches, orange oil, Dr. Pepper, and caramel apples on the arrival, followed by building peat and light herbs. The peat really comes in in the middle, with spiced barbequed meat, lightly ashy woodsmoke, old mossy logs, and a hint of dunnage. Sweet wood spice and vanilla, with cinnamon buns and brown sugar. Creamy and buttery on the back end.
Finish: Medium-long, fresh, and spicy-sweet. More ginger ale floats, orangeade, chocolate-raspberry tart, and peach ice cream. Subtle savoury peat. Angostura bitters and Arnold Palmer. u/smoked_herring mentions eucalyptus here, which I think is right on the money.
Possible SMWS bottling name: “Swizzle sizzle”
Notes: Way to start off your distillery with a bang! This is a very tasty and characterful young whisky. I have no idea how much of that character is from the spirit as opposed to the peat or the sherry cask, but that’s sort of a moot point, I think. I like the style of the peat – it’s certainly not an Islay, but it’s got nice meaty notes, plays well with the sherry cask, and is definitely a little on the medicinal for a peated Highland. It’s not the most complex peated/sherried dram in the world, but it also doesn’t taste anywhere near 4 years old. I’m very excited for Ardnamurchan’s future releases.
Final Score: 84.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 