Review by: The Muskox
Can you tell that I’m trying to clear the review backlog today? This one wasn’t really in the backlog – I poured the last of my sample last night – but I’d been working on this review over several pours and several weeks.
This is the inaugural regular release from Ardnamurchan, the hotshot new distillery located far out on Scotland’s northwest coast. The reason behind this hype is the style of whisky that they’re going for: it’s an old-school, oily, dirty style that no other startup distillery (aside from Dornoch) is doing. No ultra-long fermentations or STR casks here, no sir! Apparently they’re also planning on ditching these bafflingly unpronounceable and unmarketable names going forward, which is a good thing.
Distillery: Ardnamurchan.
Bottler: Official bottling.
Region: Highlands.
ABV: 46.8%, cask strength.
Age: NAS. Bottled in 01/2021.
Cask type: 65% Bourbon & 35% Sherry Casks (PX & Oloroso).
Color: No colour added, un-chillfiltered.
Nose: Young-ish, slightly leafy and dirty. Banana, floral. Rather nutty: salted cashews and buttered popcorns. Light brine. Hints of leather and dry sherry. No peat, but a kind of grassy savouriness… Green onions!
Palate: Oily texture. Gentle and sweet arrival. Light peach, banana, some sherry and leafy and floral on the arrival, then earth, light peat. Herbaceous and grassy, bay leaf. Dirty malt, pepper, savoury-sour earth, salted nuts, and toasted marshmallow.
Finish: Rather earthy. Nutty, almost to peanuts now. Lemon peel, grassy, ginger peel, and green onions again. Lingering oiliness. Hints of oolong tea and woodsy peat.
Possible SMWS bottling name: “Filthy rap-scallion”
Notes: Good, but not quite as good as Raasay’s first release. There’s more spirit fruit, and a slightly better texture, but a bit less complexity overall and it’s subtler. It also has more of that young floral/banana character which I don’t particularly like, and a shorter finish. Last night’s pour was the best of the three that I’ve had of this whisky.
Final Score: 78.
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 