Review #140 - Ardnamurchan AD/
At a tasting event earlier this year, we had a chance to try Ardnamurchan's AD/ whisky, along with cask samples of all of the spirit types that make up these 'blends' or batches. We were already fans of the distillery, but this experience gave us a chance to really dive into the details of their raw spirit, something we haven't had a chance to do with very many brands. The verdict at the end of the tasting was clear: quality whisky, invariably interesting, and ever-changing due to the relative youth of the distillery.
One of the great things about this distillery is their commitment to transparency - all of their releases are at a strength above 46% ABV, there's no added coloring or chill filtration, and each bottle sports a QR code on the back label that gives you amazingly detailed statistics about the makeup of your specific batch. For instance, here is the data for our bottle:
This is bottle 249 out of 7,500 in this batch
The barley in our batch (ADCB022201) is of the Concerto variety, grown in Brucefield on Broomhall Farm
The mash water temperatures were 65C, 80C, and 91C
The fermentation took 76 hours
Spirit cut points were from 74% to 70%, and the spirit went into the cask at 63.5%
The batch is made up of 25 casks: 12 peated and 13 unpeated; 4 were hogsheads, 2 were butts, and the remaining 19 were ASBs; vintages ranged from 2014 to 2016 on the casks
They even gave us the individual numbers for each cask, but we're drowning in details here, so we'll omit those. A silly amount of detailed information, really, but we admire their willingness to share.
Based on those vintages, we can estimate that the whisky in this bottle is generally between 5 and 7 years old, and like all of their standard AD/ releases, this is a mix of both peated and unpeated spirit, as well as ex-bourbon maturation and ex-sherry maturation. We enjoyed the earlier batch release product AD/ 03.21:02... how will this one compare, now that it's under the standard label?
Ardnamurchan AD/
Scotland/Highlands - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 61 (2023)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 61 (2023)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 46.8% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 3 months; bottles at 30%, 70% (blind tasting), 60% (blind tasting), and 50% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Salt and pepper: sea brine, white pepper, black pepper, slightly ashy. The peat here is mild, building toward a medium level, and the whole experience is very oily and coastal. There's a little bit of a farmyard funkiness, with hay, earth, even a sort of inky character; fruits aren't really the focus of this nose, but we do get hints of candied pear and a mild sherry wine note. Brown baking spices and brown sugar are more influential, and there's a hint of savory brisket when it's had more air time.
Palate: Balanced, with elements of both sweet and dry. There's a medium peat smoke level, along with black pepper and brine, but also buttery oak and toast, seedy fig, lemon, and lime. There's still a dirty, farmy side to this, but it's hidden behind lots of savory flavors: salt, barbecue, smoked meats, and wood smoke. With more time to oxidize, sweeter notes of plum and Luxardo cherry creep forward; the mouthfeel is medium, bordering medium-thick.
Finish: Salty, peppery, dry vanilla and some oily brine. The finish is medium-long, with just a mild peat still remaining; mostly, we're getting butterscotch and bitter burnt caramel, some sweeter lemon citrus here and there. There's a bit of dried grass or hay once more, and the lingering aftertaste is lime flavored sherbet.
Final Note: Another solid Ardnamurchan - this is a great entry to the brand. It showcases that Western Highland character, while giving us enough depth to explore as well: flavors of fruits, baking spices, mild smoke, and spirit character all find harmony in the liquid. We would definitely recommend this one if you're looking to try a newer distillery, and at the $60 mark, we think it's decent value as well.
Our Average Rating: 6.8 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.85
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