Ardnamurchan AD 09.20:01 Single Malt Whisky 46,8%

Six and a half years passed between firing up the stills and anyone daring to write whisky on the label. Ardnamurchan was busy finding the right ratio between bourbon and sherry, and in September 2020 they were done. This is bottle number one in the distillery’s history.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan AD 09.20:01 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky composed of 65% ex-bourbon casks and 35% sherry casks and bottled at 46.8% in September 2020. It is the distillery’s first official Single Malt Whisky, and 15,950 bottles were made.

The malt is split evenly between peated and unpeated, the choice that has since become the house signature. The smoke works as a floor rather than the main event, and the split between bourbon and sherry gives vanilla, bright fruit and dark sherry fruit in the same glass.

The distillery was built by the independent bottler Adelphi at Glenbeg on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, looking out over Glenmore Bay towards the island of Mull. Seven years of work went from the idea to the finished distillery, and the doors opened in July 2014. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh malt and bright fruit first, pear and apple from the bourbon casks. Then raisins and orange peel from the sherry portion, and beneath it all a dry peat smoke, clear without being dominant.

Palate

Soft and well balanced. Vanilla, honey and baked fruit open, then the sherry’s darker fruit and a lightly spiced warmth arrive. The smoke gathers everything up towards the close. At 46.8% the body is good, and the whisky reads more finished than six and a half years would suggest.

Finish

Medium to long. Malt, dark fruit and a dry smoky edge that lingers neatly.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan AD 09.20:01 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46.8%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 65% ex-bourbon casks and 35% sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: September 2020
Number of bottles: 15,950
Edition: AD 09.20:01 Batch 01
EAN no.: 5060383651256

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Fruity · Vanilla · Sherry Matured · Balanced · Malty

Investment Potential

High. This is the first official Single Malt Whisky a distillery ever released, and 15,950 bottles exist and never any more. First releases from distilleries that go on to succeed are among the most sought after bottles on the secondary market.

Did You Know?

There is no age statement on the bottle, but the arithmetic is easy: the distillery began distilling in July 2014, and the whisky was bottled in September 2020. That gives around six years and two months for the youngest content. The distillery chose to state the dates rather than a number, which says more precisely what you are holding.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Ardnamurchan AD 09.20:01 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46.8%

Why is this bottle special?

Because it is the first official Single Malt Whisky Ardnamurchan released. The distillery opened in July 2014, and six and a half years passed before they judged the whisky ready. There are 15,950 bottles, and there will never be more.

Is it worth the outlay?

The case rests on it being a first release. As a drink it is well balanced but young. As a collectable it is a fixed point in a distillery’s history, and that type of bottle typically grows harder to find over the years if the distillery does well.

What does AD 09.20:01 mean?

The distillery’s own code: 09.20 is September 2020, and :01 is the batch number. Ardnamurchan uses month, year and batch instead of an age statement.

How old is the whisky?

No age appears on the bottle, but distillation began in July 2014 and bottling took place in September 2020. The youngest content is therefore around six years and two months.

Why both peated and unpeated malt?

It is the distillery’s founding choice. Rather than keeping the two styles apart they bring them together, so the smoke becomes one element among several. The result is a whisky where fruit and smoke share the space. See our full range of Highland Whisky.

Should the bottle be opened or kept?

If it was bought as a collectable there is a strong case for leaving it sealed, since a first release cannot be reacquired. If it was bought to be drunk, it is an interesting way to meet a distillery on its first day.