Ardnahoe Cask Strength Batch 1 Single Islay Malt Whisky 60,9%

The first cask strength batch from a distillery that has only been making whisky since 2018. There is no history to lean on and no older vintages to compare against. There is just five years in first fill bourbon and 60.9% in the bottle.

The Expert's Description

Ardnahoe Cask Strength Batch 1 is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured for five years in carefully selected 1st fill bourbon casks and bottled at 60.9% natural cask strength. It is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

First fill bourbon casks are a deliberate counterweight to the young age. The casks are active and give vanilla, coconut and body quickly, and they meet a spirit that is already full thanks to Ardnahoe’s worm tubs and long lyne arms. The combination delivers more weight than five years would normally allow.

Ardnahoe is Islay’s ninth distillery and was built by the independent bottler Hunter Laing. It opened in October 2018 and is the only one on the island using worm tubs.

Tasting Notes

Nose

A fresh coastal breeze first, then earthy peat smoke and rich cocoa. Vanilla and coconut from the new bourbon wood sit beneath, and at 60.9% the alcohol is pronounced, so let the glass rest a couple of minutes.

Palate

Orchard fruits open, followed by herbal tea and salted caramel developing into a complex, full body. The smoke sits underneath and comes forward more clearly with a little water. The texture is oily and fills out well.

Finish

A smoky close with elegant citrus shades that hang on the palate for a long time.

Specifications

Name: Ardnahoe Cask Strength Batch 1 Single Islay Malt Whisky 60.9%
Distillery: Ardnahoe
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 5 years
ABV: 60.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Cask Strength Batch 1

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Cask Strength · Vanilla · Fruity · Maritime · Salted Caramel

Investment Potential

Medium. A first batch in a series is by definition a one-off expression, and from a distillery producing only since 2018, early releases are the kind of bottle collectors look for once the house has established itself.

Did You Know?

Ardnahoe’s stills have the longest lyne arms in Scotland, 7.5 metres from still to condenser. Normally a long lyne arm gives a lighter spirit, because heavy vapours fall back along the way. But the distillery also uses worm tubs, which pull in the opposite direction. The two choices partly cancel each other out, and that is precisely the intention.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Ardnahoe Cask Strength Batch 1 Single Islay Malt Whisky 60.9%

Is five years young for an Islay whisky?

It is at the younger end, but smoke works well young. The peat is fresh and direct rather than rounded, and first fill bourbon casks work fast enough to give body in five years. Several Islay distilleries have released strong young bottlings.

What does Batch 1 mean?

That it is the first edition in the series. Later batches will come from other casks and taste different, and no more of this exact composition will be made.

How do you drink a whisky at 60.9%?

Taste a small measure neat first so you know the starting point, then add water one drop at a time. At this strength water often opens both the fruit and the smoke noticeably.

What do worm tubs do to an Islay whisky?

They give less copper contact during condensing, and the result is a heavier, oilier spirit. On Islay, where the smoke already takes up room, that produces a whisky with more body to carry it. Ardnahoe is the only distillery on the island with worm tubs.

How does Ardnahoe differ from the other Islay distilleries?

Technically through the worm tubs and the long lyne arms, and in practice through a spirit that is fuller and less medicinal than the classic south coast houses. See our full range of Scotch Whisky.

Is it suitable for someone new to Islay?

Not as a first bottle. At 60.9% and with clear peat smoke it is for someone who already knows what peat tastes like. Better to start with an Islay at 46% and work upwards.