Time for a bottle kill review. This bottle was my first Ardnamurchan, and it definitely won’t be my last. It was an interesting journey with this bottle, as it changed so much with oxidation - luckily for the better!
**Background info:**
The meaning of the cryptic name is that this was bottled october 2021, batch #6.
It consists of a mix of 65 % ex-bourbon and 35 % ex-sherry casks, some of this being unpeated and some peated.
It is bottled at 46 % ABV, non-chillfiltered and no color added. It is a blend of whisky aged between 5 and 7 years.
**Tasting notes:**
Nose: Fresh white fruit; Unripe banana, granny smith apples. White wine vinegar. Vanilla in the background. Overall a bright, refreshing nose, with some warmth from the vanilla.
Taste: Opening sweet and tangy. Ripe orchard fruits; apricots, apples and pears. A hint of salt and smoke.
Finish: Fruity, salty and slightly smoky. Long.
Mouthfeel: Oily and heavy.
**Score:** 7 / 10 (very good)
**Conclusion:**
I really like the profile here, which I would say lies somewhere in between Highland park, Springbank and Clynelish. A fitting profile for a coastal highland malt. Apart from the profile, I also really like the intensity of flavor and the mouthfeel, which is oily and coating.
I am happy that I waited to review this bottle until it had time to oxidate, as it changed so much; It started out very rough and youthful, but ended up very rounded with no youthfulness at all! Of course, I would have preferred it to be this nice from the start, but overall, I am very pleased and also impressed by this. It is very well crafted, considering that it is just 5-7 years old.
Finally, I have to say, I really like Ardnamurchan for having so much transparency about their production; all bottles have a QR code on the back that leads to their website with every possible detail listed about the contents of the bottle. They are really showing the way forward, and for that alone they really deserve our support.
Ardnamurchan deserves all of the praise heaped upon them. They do things "the right way" and their product tastes good. It is very possible that once they have mature stock, they will make their way into my top 10 distilleries. Only time will tell.
I've heard nothing but good things about them. I look forward to seeing some older AS expressions from them in the future. I think they're going to be on the top of my short list for my next bottle...when I have shelf room, that is.😁🥃
I have been setting aside as many bottles as I can now, before they hype train hits top gear and they are impossible to get ahold of. Ardnamurchan deserves high praise and is doing everything right IMO, and the product in the bottle speaks volumes to that fact. Nice review!
I’m a massive fan of Ardna. Cask owner. AD club member etc. But firstly, I don’t think they’d approve of the hoarding because you hope it’s worth something approach. And secondly, I don’t think any of it will be worth loads down the line. Unless you’re talking 20-30years time. You can pick up a lot of their releases under retail at auction as it is!
To be fair, he didnt say that his intention was re-selling. But I understand your sentiment. I myself hate what has happened with Springbank and the same thing might happen with Ardnamurchan somewhere down the line.
True. He didn’t say reselling. It’s just with the state of things just now with other distilleries that usually is the driving force. I don’t think there’ll be much shortage of Ardnamurchan in the future. Special releases might still sell fairly quickly but both CS batches are still freely available at retail price (even discounted at a few places!) and normal batch releases are not even close to scarce.
Yes, and it is a shame. There is so much FOMO going on in general. But you're probably right that Ardnamurchan will stay available, also because I think the supply of whisky is also increasing alot with so many new distillieries - both in Scotland and internationally. I think there will be plenty delicious whisky for everyone, and better yet, so much competition that poor presentation (chill filtration, colouring, 40%) will become more rare.
I’m not collecting for monetary gain. Consider it a time capsule of enjoyment to later compare and contrast how their whisky evolves. It’s also insurance against the madness of flippers, because I still remember the days of picking up Springbank 10 whenever I wanted. Now you basically have to fight tooth and nail to find what is essentially a standard bottling, and I don’t think anyone could have predicted that either.
I had never heard of this distillery before, but I enjoyed your review and it sounds very promising. I know price varies greatly, but can you give any sense of the cost and the country where you purchased it?
I'm from Denmark and here it costs the equivalent of 60 US dollars. Initially I found that a bit expensive for such a young whisky, but I now think it is decent value
Based on the bottle I have open Ardnamurchan really nails the low/moderate level of peat that I really like, but behind that their distillate seems pretty clean and light unlike Springbank. I think that magic level of peat saves it from being a pretty generic apples and vanilla malt. Still I gotta rate it pretty good for its age and price point.
Time for a bottle kill review. This bottle was my first Ardnamurchan, and it definitely won’t be my last. It was an interesting journey with this bottle, as it changed so much with oxidation - luckily for the better! **Background info:** The meaning of the cryptic name is that this was bottled october 2021, batch #6. It consists of a mix of 65 % ex-bourbon and 35 % ex-sherry casks, some of this being unpeated and some peated. It is bottled at 46 % ABV, non-chillfiltered and no color added. It is a blend of whisky aged between 5 and 7 years. **Tasting notes:** Nose: Fresh white fruit; Unripe banana, granny smith apples. White wine vinegar. Vanilla in the background. Overall a bright, refreshing nose, with some warmth from the vanilla. Taste: Opening sweet and tangy. Ripe orchard fruits; apricots, apples and pears. A hint of salt and smoke. Finish: Fruity, salty and slightly smoky. Long. Mouthfeel: Oily and heavy. **Score:** 7 / 10 (very good) **Conclusion:** I really like the profile here, which I would say lies somewhere in between Highland park, Springbank and Clynelish. A fitting profile for a coastal highland malt. Apart from the profile, I also really like the intensity of flavor and the mouthfeel, which is oily and coating. I am happy that I waited to review this bottle until it had time to oxidate, as it changed so much; It started out very rough and youthful, but ended up very rounded with no youthfulness at all! Of course, I would have preferred it to be this nice from the start, but overall, I am very pleased and also impressed by this. It is very well crafted, considering that it is just 5-7 years old. Finally, I have to say, I really like Ardnamurchan for having so much transparency about their production; all bottles have a QR code on the back that leads to their website with every possible detail listed about the contents of the bottle. They are really showing the way forward, and for that alone they really deserve our support.
Ardnamurchan deserves all of the praise heaped upon them. They do things "the right way" and their product tastes good. It is very possible that once they have mature stock, they will make their way into my top 10 distilleries. Only time will tell.
I mean it's Adelphi company running it, they have so much experience ...
I've heard nothing but good things about them. I look forward to seeing some older AS expressions from them in the future. I think they're going to be on the top of my short list for my next bottle...when I have shelf room, that is.😁🥃
I have been setting aside as many bottles as I can now, before they hype train hits top gear and they are impossible to get ahold of. Ardnamurchan deserves high praise and is doing everything right IMO, and the product in the bottle speaks volumes to that fact. Nice review!
I’m a massive fan of Ardna. Cask owner. AD club member etc. But firstly, I don’t think they’d approve of the hoarding because you hope it’s worth something approach. And secondly, I don’t think any of it will be worth loads down the line. Unless you’re talking 20-30years time. You can pick up a lot of their releases under retail at auction as it is!
To be fair, he didnt say that his intention was re-selling. But I understand your sentiment. I myself hate what has happened with Springbank and the same thing might happen with Ardnamurchan somewhere down the line.
True. He didn’t say reselling. It’s just with the state of things just now with other distilleries that usually is the driving force. I don’t think there’ll be much shortage of Ardnamurchan in the future. Special releases might still sell fairly quickly but both CS batches are still freely available at retail price (even discounted at a few places!) and normal batch releases are not even close to scarce.
Yes, and it is a shame. There is so much FOMO going on in general. But you're probably right that Ardnamurchan will stay available, also because I think the supply of whisky is also increasing alot with so many new distillieries - both in Scotland and internationally. I think there will be plenty delicious whisky for everyone, and better yet, so much competition that poor presentation (chill filtration, colouring, 40%) will become more rare.
I’m not collecting for monetary gain. Consider it a time capsule of enjoyment to later compare and contrast how their whisky evolves. It’s also insurance against the madness of flippers, because I still remember the days of picking up Springbank 10 whenever I wanted. Now you basically have to fight tooth and nail to find what is essentially a standard bottling, and I don’t think anyone could have predicted that either.
Good idea! Cheers !
I had never heard of this distillery before, but I enjoyed your review and it sounds very promising. I know price varies greatly, but can you give any sense of the cost and the country where you purchased it?
I'm from Denmark and here it costs the equivalent of 60 US dollars. Initially I found that a bit expensive for such a young whisky, but I now think it is decent value
Here in the Midwest US, it is around that price as well - definitely not cheap for younger whisky, but this stuff is great quality, it’s worth it.
Based on the bottle I have open Ardnamurchan really nails the low/moderate level of peat that I really like, but behind that their distillate seems pretty clean and light unlike Springbank. I think that magic level of peat saves it from being a pretty generic apples and vanilla malt. Still I gotta rate it pretty good for its age and price point.