March began with a week of reviews of single casks from Ben Nevis (here, here and here). Let’s keep things in the highlands for a second week. This week’s reviews, however, will be of whiskies from three different distilleries. First up, a release from a distillery I don’t have any prior experience with: Ardnamurchan. It is actually located only about 45 miles from Ben Nevis, a little to the southwest. It’s owned by Adelphi, the well-known independent bottling concern. The distillery was constructed in 2013—this is around the time, I think, when a number of the major independent bottlers began to get into the whisky production game, as the continued supply of casks from the usual sources began to look more questionable in the future. The first batch of spirit at Ardnamurchan was distilled in 2014. I believe the first official single malt was released in 2020, at the age of 5. If I’m understanding the release numbering system correctly, the one I’m reviewing today is the third release and came out in April, 2021. As to whether this is a year older than the 2020 release or distilled a year (or more) later, I don’t know. I do know that it’s a vatting of 65% ex-bourbon, 35% sherry (px and oloroso) casks and that it contains equal partsof peated and unpeated spirit. I am very curious to see what it’s like.

Ardnamurchan AD/ 04.21:03 (46.8%; from a bottle split)

Nose: Cereals and charred oak off the top; on the second sniff there’s some toasted malt but also some rubber and some yeasty youthful notes reminiscent of new make. More smoke as it sits and the rubber recedes a little (the yeast is still around). Some citrus under the oak and smoke with time and some salt. With a few drops of water the rubber and yeast mostly back off and more of the malt comes through.

Palate: The oak is more raw here and it generally tastes even more youthful than the nose had suggested. Decent drinking strength and texture. The smoke expands as it sits—it’s a little too thin and sharp for my liking. More malt here with time, mixed in with some powdered ginger. The fruit doesn’t really emerge here. Sweeter with water but not any more interesting.

Finish: Medium-long. The raw oak dominates here along with the smoke, which gets more than slightly rubbery as it goes. The finish is longer and spicier with water.

Comments: Young whisky with promise. In this state, nothing I’d want more than one pour of—though it’s drinkable enough as young whisky goes. The sherry mostly seems to have rounded off the youthful notes a little.

Rating: 78 points.