Ardnamurchan AD/02.22

The nose is bold and rich starting with honey drizzled over charred lemon, grilled peaches and cantaloupe, chocolate covered raisins along with a mild campfire smoke then honeysuckle and seaside rocky minerality followed by mangos, pineapple and sautéed figs that transitions to ginger, cloves and sandalwood with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a rich velvety mouthfeel starting with creamy orchard fruit, honeycomb and a mild campfire smoke before a moderate spice that slowly fades to dark chocolate covered espresso beans, Sichuan pepper and grilled figs then light florals and seaside rocky minerality followed by candied lemon peel, nectarines and overripe mango that transitions to light baking spices and sandalwood with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long, starting with a mix of creamy yet slightly sour tropical fruits that slowly fades to dark chocolate covered espresso beans, Sichuan pepper, light ocean brine, mild campfire smoke and sandalwood. This is only the third offering from Ardnamurchan that I've tried and each one has tasted far older than anticipated from a distillery open less than 10 years with this wonderful mix with honey covered creamy citrus dominating but underscored by a mild campfire by the seaside and unique spices. At a price of around $90 near me, this is an absolute buy that can easily compete with bottles twice the cost and is one to watch as their offerings gain more age in the coming years. Thanks @soonershrink for the generous sample.

Like eating a main of shrimp scampi (buttery lemony salty goodness) with a creme brulee desert (vanilla creamy caramel goodness).

Scanning the QR code leads to loads of info about the contents and production of this whisky. It's quite remarkable the extent of details that they disclose. Even if you don't buy a bottle, do yourself a favor and scan the QR on the next Ardnamurchan you see. This particular bottle is number 66 of 1200 in this batch. The batch is made up of 40 casks of peated whisky and 10 casks of unpeated. The majority of the casks are ex-bourbon barrels, with a handful of sherry casks. Citrusy nose, with lemon and a smidge of orange. A little salt spray, and a tiny wisp of peat smoke. Vanilla cream, black pepper. The palate is nice and creamy with lemon and pear, custard. Candied ginger. The peat starts to come on towards the back of the palate and through the finish, but it's not as strong as I was expecting, considering the proportion of peated casks that were used. The peat is one among many notes, balanced by the fruit and creamy vanilla flavors. The peat is campfire, slightly briny, very mildly vegetal. There is a bit of pepper and burn on the finish, reminding that this is nearly 60% ABV. This is a really nice whisky and after having tasted and enjoyed both the regular strength release and now this one, I'm a fan. I'm reminded a bit of Talisker, which on the far western coast of Scotland, Ardnamurchan doesn't appear too far from the isle of Skye, at least as the crow flies. As long as I can find these releases, I'm inclined to be a regular purchaser.

Nose Honey and sweet vanilla beautifully balanced by ash and seaweed. Taste Oily mouthfeel, thick and creamy arrival. Black pepper and salt. Toffee. Grilled ham and pineapple. Chilli spices. Strawberries. Finish Long. Very long. The saltiness and sweetness persist, with a hint of dark chocolate coming into the mix. This is made with predominantly peated barley, but it’s so beautifully balanced and integrated that it definitely can’t be described as a peat monster. A quite spectacular cask-strength whisky.