Ardnahoe Distillery was established in 2016 on a rugged hillside close to Port Askaig within the comparatively distant and impossibly stunning northeast nook of Islay. Till Port Ellen revived distilling operations this summer season, it was the youngest distillery on the island. Seemingly from its inception, it was a buzzy operation due in no small half to the truth that Hunter Laing, the proprietor and family-run unbiased bottler, managed to entice famed Grasp Distiller Jim McEwan out of retirement to assist get operations up and operating.
The primary single malt got here off Ardnahoe’s lantern-shaped stills in 2018, and whereas they might have technically bottled an inaugural launch 4 years in the past, the corporate selected to attend till this summer season. I used to be really on the distillery a couple of days earlier than the official launch, and whereas I attempted my finest to get a sneak peak, it took till now to supply our pattern.
The corporate describes their home model as a classically peated one, conventional to the island. They age their shares in a typical mixture of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, and like most distilleries on the island, solely a portion of their whiskey is absolutely matured in Islay’s distinctive, coastal local weather. They’re, nonetheless, the one distillery on the island (and certainly one of just a few in all of Scotland) to make use of conventional worm tub condensers. Let’s see how their inaugural effort fares.
The aroma is massive and well-rounded for a youthful single malt, delivering prime notes of salty sea air, toasted sesame, and a little bit of mesquite wooden smoke. Undertones of lemon curd, underripe melon, and vanilla buttercream add some brightness and a restrained sweetness. Because it opens, the peat smoke builds modestly with campfire ash and barbecue notes.
The palate is exceptionally wealthy, once more defying the age assertion, with an unctuous physique that coats the tongue in notes of vanilla custard and heather honey. Baking spice and darkish berry jam arrive on the midpalate alongside a little bit of tarry chimney soot and coal ash. The end is beneficiant and energetic with lemon oil, cocoa powder, and a lingering candy peat. A formidable debut that units the bar excessive for what’s to come back from this new-ish Islay outpost.
100 proof.
A- / $90
Ardnahoe Inaugural Launch 5 Years Previous
$90
