Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Ardnamurchan.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Region: Highlands.
ABV: 57.8%. Cask strength.
Age: NAS but approx. 5-6 years old. Distilled in 2017/2018. Bottled in 2023.
Cask type: Vatting of Oloroso and PX sherry hogsheads/octaves.
Price: $90 USD for 700mL.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 8 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, regular-formatted notes taken further into the bottle past the halfway point, italicized notes taken towards the heel.
Nose: spicy up front, cinnamon, clove, composting dead leaves, faint smoke (as from burning said leaves), orange zest, old copper coins, soot, smoke, and orange come forward.
Palate: full-bodied, rich and bright ~ cinnamon (cassia bark), juicy red fruits, more dead leaves, smoke, allspice, smoked meats in the background, cola, sweet gherkins, a bubbly effervescence, orange oil.
Finish: medium-long ~ lingering on smoke, charcuterie, and cinnamon, more cola on the tail end.
Conclusion: What a great autumnal whisky. Over time this has slowly developed from a massive sherry bomb in the style of Aberlour A’Bunadh to something with quite a bit more depth, not least from the interplay of Highland peat smoke with everything else in here. Like the standard core bottlings, this US-only release was made from mixing Ardnamurchan’s peated and unpeated spirit, but all matured in various Oloroso and PX casks—and good ones, at that (maybe not surprising given that Adelphi, Ardnamurchan’s parent company, has built a reputation for sourcing excellent quality sherry casks.) Spice, fruit, smoke, cola, and hints of meatiness all combine in harmony for a fantastic tasting experience, one of the best Ardnamurchans I’ve had in the cabinet so far.
Final Score: 87.
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 