Ardnamurchan 2018 AD3 Spirit Adelphi 70 cl 55.3%

Third year in the sequence, and now sherry casks only. Ardnamurchan put all of AD3 into hogsheads and butts from Spain, and the difference from the year before is obvious before you have tasted anything: the colour alone tells you what the wood has done.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan 2018 AD3 Spirit is a Highland Single Malt Spirit matured in sherry casks in the form of hogsheads and butts and bottled at 55.3% by Adelphi. Approximately 5,000 bottles were made. The designation Spirit is because it has not spent the three years in cask that Scottish law requires before the word whisky may be used.

The two cask sizes do different things. A hogshead holds around 250 litres and works relatively fast, while a butt of around 500 litres moves more slowly and gives a more measured sherry character. Using both gives you speed and depth in the same release.

Ardnamurchan makes both peated and unpeated malt, and both styles feature in the house’s releases. The spirit is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and dried fig first, clearly sherried for something this young. Beneath sit fresh malt and a light peat smoke, along with a nutty note the butts have laid in.

Palate

Sweeter and rounder than you would expect from anything under three years. Dark fruit and spice open, then the cereal character comes through along with a peated undercurrent. At 55.3% the concentration is good, and the sherry carries the youth well.

Finish

Medium length. Raisins, malt and a lightly smoky dryness that lets go cleanly.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan 2018 AD3 Spirit Adelphi 55.3%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Spirit
ABV: 55.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks, hogsheads and butts
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2018
Number of bottles: Approximately 5,000
Edition: AD3 Spirit
EAN no.: 5060383650426

Flavour Profile

Sherry Matured · Young · Dark Fruit · Nutty · Lightly Smoky · Cask Strength

Did You Know?

The Ardnamurchan peninsula is so remote that the road out there is single track along much of its length. The distillery sits at Glenbeg overlooking Glenmore Bay towards the island of Mull, and it is one of the remotest distilleries in Scotland. Seven years of work went from the idea to the finished distillery.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Ardnamurchan 2018 AD3 Spirit Adelphi 55.3%

Why is it not whisky?

Because Scottish law requires at least three years in oak. This spirit has not reached that threshold and is therefore legally a Single Malt Spirit. The production is otherwise identical to what later became whisky.

What is the difference between a hogshead and a butt?

Size. A hogshead holds around 250 litres, a butt around 500. The smaller cask has more wood contact per litre and therefore works faster. Using both in one release gives you a fast and a slow sherry influence at once.

How does AD3 differ from AD2 the year before?

AD3 was matured in sherry casks only, where the earlier releases also used American oak. The result is darker, sweeter and more fruit-driven than the year before.

Is 5,000 bottles a lot?

For a young distillery it is a decent quantity, but it is still a single annual release that will not be made again. The Spirit series ran only from 2016 to 2019.

Can you taste the difference between peated and unpeated malt here?

Partly. Ardnamurchan makes both styles, and the smoke is present as an undercurrent rather than a separate layer. See our full range of Highland Whisky.

How is it best enjoyed?

Neat and in a small measure. At 55.3% a few drops of water can open the sherry fruit, but the spirit has less cask character to carry dilution than an older whisky would.