Ardnamurchan AD/02.22 Cask Strength

The Maker

If you’re reading this you’ll already be well aware of Ardnamurchan. Alongside the likes of GlenAllachie; Kilchoman; and Edradour, Ardnamurchan has quickly become one of the most talked about and respected distilleries in operation today, due to the quality and availability of their releases over the past few years (at least in the UK). When I last reviewed one of their bottles I argued that Ardnamurchan exemplifies everything which is great about the contemporary Scotch scene, and with another year of releases under its belt my view hasn’t changed. With its focus on transparency (as can be seen below), environmental & social sustainability; along with the expertise of renowned independent bottler Adelphi behind it, Ardnamurchan has become the embodiment of what fans now want from their whisky.

This is because from a fan’s perspective, it’s no longer good enough to just release whisky that tastes nice – but obviously that does really help! In addition to taste, we also want to know as much as much as we can about what has gone into it, how it was made, matured and presented. Many of us even want to know all about the distillery’s production methods, the fuel used, the wider economy it serves, and what role it plays in its local community. Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly to some, we also want to be able to trust that the standard will always be there, and that the distillery is likely to have access to the best of casks – something which the Adelphi link ensures to an extent which many similar sized distilleries can only dream of – long into the future. Ardnamurchan has all of this by design, and has decided to make it their key selling point in addition to the whisky itself.

Of course the cynic in me shouts that a lot of this could ultimately be attributed to PR fluff. That things like community trusts, sustainable processes and transparent communication are just good business practice in the modern world. Or that at least a dozen other distilleries do similar things in similar ways. And maybe that’s true to varying extents, but to be fair to Ardnamurchan my whisky bullshit filter is rather well attuned at this point, and when compared to many others I could name with far higher outputs, I’m yet to discover another distillery that goes quite as far as Ardnamurchan does. Therefore, I’m more than willing to keep giving them the benefit of the doubt for at least a little longer.

The Expression

This is a bottle of the Cask Strength edition put together in February 2022 and released shortly afterwards – hence the 02.22 on the bottle. Thanks to Ardnamurchan's commitment to transparency I can tell from the unique QR code on the bottle this is number 377 out of a 12,886 outrun. I can also tell some remarkably specific things about the wider production process like that all the barley used came from Broomhall farm in West Fife; that it was fermented for 76 hours by Gordon Mackenzie; and that after he then distilled it the spirit was brought down to 63.5% before being put into casks.

Yet it’s at this cask maturation point where Ardnamurchan makes the most of its commitment to transparency. Instead of just telling us the type of cask, we also get the precise breakdown of each individual cask that went into this batch. As such we know that of the approximately 11,000 litres that went into this batch that it came 45 standard bourbon barrels filled with peated spirit in 2015, and five sherry hogsheads filled with unpeated spirit in 2014 (three) and 2015 (two). All of which gave this batch a roughly 80:20 peated to unpeated mix which, as far as I can identify, was the most ‘peaty’ Ardnamurchan released at the time. It also tells us that despite being a 'Non-age Statement' release the whisky inside would qualify to be 6 years old. Beyond that we have standard bottle information that tells us the strength was brought down 58.7%, and like everything Ardnamurchan produces was bottled at natural colour and without chill-filtration.

The Neck Pour

On the nose there’s a rich barley sugar, lemon tart and straw. Then comes the peat smoke which is surprisingly subtle initially given how peated the batch is. In comparison to other whiskies the peat here is nothing like as strong as something for Islay, but that medicinal element is still there. Like other Ardnamurchans I’d instead put this a lot closer to something like a Talisker or one of those occasionally peated Arrans. There’s also a strong salty seaside note to it which is rather reminiscent of seaweed and oyster shell. Then come the traditional lighter vanilla notes from the bourbon with just the slightest hint of honey.

In terms of taste the arrival is far more floral and grassy than expected. It’s also surprisingly sweet with lots of rich sugars followed by the peat. Again the peat is far from overwhelming. Instead it’s remarkably complimentary of the wider flavour profiles and builds into a ginger cake spice on the finish. If anything this seems to have moved passed Talisker and is heading towards something like a younger Ledaig.

My initial thoughts are that this is really rounded and harmonious whisky and surprisingly easy drinking considering it’s close to 60%. There just so much flavour in here to unpack that will no doubt develop well on the shelf in the months ahead.

The Body

Over the course of summer and autumn the flavours have developed nicely. Now there’s an additional waxiness building upon the barley sugar. The peat still there in good balance, but also something sharper, almost acidic, that’s starting to cut through.

In contrast the sweetness now seems to have lessened since opening. It’s as if the sugars have caramelised to add more bitterness which works all the better with the peat. The saltiness is still there which naturally works very well with these flavours, before the spicy char and black pepper finish.

Final Thoughts

As far as I’m concerned Ardnamurchan continue to be one of the ‘good guy’ of Scotch, and have in this bottle have put together yet another fine release. As I regrettably come to its end I’m already eying up the new special sherry edition that’s recently appeared on shelves. Indeed, it has taken great restraint not to snap it up as an immediate replacement.

Adding water to the final few drams helps to open up the nose even more and bring forward some additional candied lemon notes, but also some sultanas and just a tiny hint of fig. Yet I can’t claim that it revealed anything additional in terms of taste. Instead, it more functions to round off what is already there and bring it together into an even more harmonious whole. While this might be very hard to find outside of auctions sites at this point, it’s well worth picking up if you can still find it.