Ardnahoe is Islay’s newest distillery (for now!) and under the direction of Hunter Laing and Company, who are more well-known as independent bottlers. The distillery is part of the broader wave of independent bottlers shifting into the world of distillation (see for example Signatory Vintage at Edradour, or Gordon & MacPhail at Benromach, Douglas Laing at Strathearn, etc.)

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Whisky: Ardnahoe 5 Year, Inaugural Release

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 50%

Cask: Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry

Age: 5 Years (Bottled 17 June 2024)

Notes: A gust of maritime brine and drying kelp tickled the senses until more meaty barbecue arrived— salmon on cedar wood planks and a bit of pork belly with gochujang. The smoke was sweet, but also acrid with burnt sugars and wood drifting over dried grass, tar, creosote, and a hint of medicinal herbs. Medium-bodied and oily on the palate, the flavor profile offered plenty of creosote and fresh asphalt paving before charred wood and burnt meaty fats arrived.  Gristle and burnt ends led to slightly acrid burnt sugars and eventually a cleansing briny citrus. Hints of mint and medicinal herbs at the end as coastal brine and charred vegetation lingered on a medium-length finish.

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Score: 6-7 (78)

Mental Image: Shipyard Barbecue

Conclusion: Well, how about that for an introduction!  I had been hoping to try something from Ardnahoe, and I am glad that our little online whisky group’s mystery tasting calendar provided the opportunity. I cannot wait to see how Ardnahoe’s malt turns out with a bit more age— this was feisty and phenolic, as you might expect from something so young.  The flavor profile that sat somewhere between modern 2000s Laphroaig and 1990s Ardbeg as it incorporated plenty of familiar barbecue, asphalt, and maritime notes, but in a more restrained package.

Overall, delightful stuff— I cannot wait to see what comes next!