Ardnamurchan 2019 AD4 Spirit Adelphi 57,4%

The last chapter before the whisky. AD4 is the fourth and final Spirit release from Ardnamurchan, and the following year the distillery could finally write whisky on the label. Octaves are in play here too, the smallest casks in the house.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan 2019 AD4 Spirit is a Highland Single Malt Spirit matured in sherry casks in the form of hogsheads, butts and octaves and bottled at 57.4% by Adelphi. Approximately 5,100 bottles were made. It is legally a Spirit because it has not spent the three years in cask that Scottish law requires.

Octaves are the addition compared with the year before. An octave holds around 50 litres, the smallest cask in common use, and with so little liquid per square centimetre of wood it works very fast. It is an efficient way to give young spirit more cask character than the years alone would allow.

AD4 is the last in the run of Spirit releases that spanned 2016 to 2019. In September 2020 the distillery’s first proper Single Malt Whisky arrived. The spirit is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark fruit and syrup first, more concentrated than the preceding years. There are raisins, dates and a clear spiced sherry note, and beneath sit fresh malt and a light peat smoke.

Palate

Full and sweet, almost dessert-like in the middle. Dark fruit, spice and burnt sugar open, then the cereal character and the smoke come through. At 57.4% the concentration is marked, and the small casks make themselves felt in the texture.

Finish

Medium to long. Spice, dark fruit and a dry, lightly smoky close.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan 2019 AD4 Spirit Adelphi 57.4%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Spirit
ABV: 57.4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks, hogsheads, butts and octaves
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2019
Number of bottles: Approximately 5,100
Edition: AD4 Spirit
EAN no.: 5060383650730

Flavour Profile

Sherry Matured · Sweet · Spiced · Young · Cask Strength · Dark Fruit

Did You Know?

An octave holds around 50 litres and is the smallest cask used in ordinary whisky production. The name comes from it being roughly an eighth of a butt. Because the ratio of liquid to wood is so extreme, an octave can deliver in a few months what a butt takes years to give.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Ardnamurchan 2019 AD4 Spirit Adelphi 57.4%

What is an octave?

A cask of around 50 litres, roughly an eighth of a sherry butt. It is the smallest cask in common use, and because the ratio of liquid to wood is so high, it delivers a great deal of cask character in a short time.

Why is AD4 the last Spirit release?

Because in 2020 the distillery reached the three year threshold and could begin calling its spirit whisky. AD4 from 2019 is therefore the last in the sequence, and the first Single Malt Whisky arrived in September 2020.

How does AD4 differ from AD3?

Octaves were added to the cask make-up, and the strength is higher: 57.4% against 55.3%. The result is more concentrated, sweeter and spicier than the year before.

Is it still worth buying now the distillery makes whisky?

That depends what you are after. If you want to taste finished whisky, the later releases are the obvious choice. If you want to understand where the distillery started, the Spirit series is the only route there, and it cannot be remade.

Why use so many different cask sizes?

Because they work at different speeds. Octaves give quickly, butts slowly, hogsheads in between. Combining them lets you control how much cask character a young spirit picks up. See our full range of Highland Whisky.

Does it need water?

At 57.4% a few drops can help and open the sherry fruit. Go carefully, as young spirit has less cask character to carry the dilution than an older whisky.