Time flies when you have fun; somehow Ardnamurchan is putting out 10 Year old whisky! I remember being impressed when the whisky was only five years old, often heavily peated, and frequently doused in a very active sherry cask. Those aggressive drams were fun, but who did not wonder what the whisky would be like with a bit more time? Now we get to find out.

So here we are, a ten year Ardnamurchan matured in a first fill ex-bourbon barrel; also somehow the 26th cask that SMWS has released!  Time truly does fly.

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Whisky: Ardnamurchan 10 Year (2015), SMWS 149.26 “Dessert island dram”

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 64.4%

Cask: First Fill Bourbon Barrel

Age: 10 Years (Distilled 14 Sept. 2015)

Notes: Smokey, sweet, and maritime, this had plenty of pine nuts, dried papaya, kiwi, and pineapple cubes— a snack box for a parrot probably. Blue raspberry and orange cream syrups over shave ice put this in vacation mode while palm fronds and garden debris burned in the background with a touch of diesel and whitewash.  Medium-bodied on the palate and bursting with tinned pineapple, dried papaya, orange creamsicles, fatty pine nuts, macadamia nuts, wooden spoons, and burning beach debris. More subtle layers of sea shells and tide pools provided a salty minerality in contrast to the sweet fruits; some of the dirtier qualities appeared only fleetingly with a few drops of water. The finish was medium to long with a gentle salinity, peppery spirit, and dried tropical fruits.

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Score: 8 (86)

Mental Image: Parrot’s Free Flow Brunch

Conclusion: I did not think much of this whisky the first time I had it. Granted, it came toward the end of a massive fifteen bottle tasting lineup (which I did not actually expect us to taste through, but that was the order of business and who I am to say “no, I don’t think I can lead you through that”). It also came right before we got to an older Ardmore and a 2004 Bowmore— two of the highlights of the event, and the whiskies I was most anticipating.  

Rather, it was the second time I tried this, that I found myself smitten. My wife was not able to attend the event, so I brought back peated samples for her to try. When we poured them, this stuck out for both of us. The flavors were wonderfully clear and coastal, completely unlike any of the peated Ardnamurchan I have had so far. Considering the 64% abv, this drank remarkably easily, and did not need water— though a few drops did not hurt.  Overall, a delight… and I did end up buying a bottle.