Ardnamurchan AD 12:14 CK.440 FC Whisky Single Highland Malt Whisky 59,1%

December 2014, five months after the distillery opened. Cask 440 is a Spanish Oloroso butt filled with unpeated spirit, and it is among the earliest casks in existence from Ardnamurchan. Six hundred and ninety-three bottles, released to one Danish importer.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan AD 12:14 CK.440 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in an unpeated Oloroso Sherry Butt of Spanish oak and bottled at 59.1% cask strength. The cask was filled in December 2014 and gave 693 bottles released exclusively for FC Whisky.

This is the unpeated side of the distillery. With no smoke to contend with, the Oloroso cask can work directly on the spirit’s fruitiness, and a full butt of around 500 litres works slowly and in measured fashion. The result is a sherry profile where dark fruit and nuts get room without being forced.

The cask was filled five months after the distillery opened in July 2014, which makes it one of the very earliest casks in the house. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and dark orange first, with walnut and a dry sherry note behind. Beneath sit fresh malt and a lightly waxy fruitiness that is Ardnamurchan’s unpeated signature.

Palate

Full and dark. Dried fruit, walnut and bitter chocolate open, then spice and an oak tannin tighten things mid-palate. At 59.1% the concentration is considerable, and a fresh acidity beneath the sherry keeps it from turning heavy.

Finish

Long and spiced. Raisin, nut and dry oak, with a warmth that lingers.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan AD 12:14 CK.440 FC Whisky Single Highland Malt Whisky 59.1%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 59.1%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Unpeated Oloroso Sherry Butt of Spanish oak, cask no. 440
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: December 2014
Number of bottles: 693
Edition: Single Cask CK.440 for FC Whisky
EAN no.: 5060383651652

Flavour Profile

Sherry Matured · Dark Fruit · Nutty · Spiced · Cask Strength · Fresh

Investment Potential

Medium. The cask dates from the distillery’s first six months, and 693 bottles exist, released through one channel. Casks filled in 2014 are the oldest in existence from Ardnamurchan, and there will be no more.

Did You Know?

Ardnamurchan keeps its peated and unpeated production separate in different periods of the year, and the casks are marked accordingly. CK.440 is marked unpeated, so you know in advance there is no smoke in the bottle, a clarity very few distilleries offer on single casks.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Ardnamurchan AD 12:14 CK.440 FC Whisky Single Highland Malt Whisky 59.1%

What does AD 12:14 mean?

The distillery’s code for when the cask was filled: December 2014. The distillery opened in July that year, so this cask comes from the first five months of production.

Is it peated?

No. CK.440 is marked unpeated, so there is no peat smoke in the bottle. Ardnamurchan makes both peated and unpeated malt in separate periods, and the casks are marked according to which side of the house they come from.

What makes a full Oloroso butt different from a smaller sherry cask?

A butt holds around 500 litres and therefore has less wood contact per litre. Maturation runs slower and in more measured fashion, and the whisky gains depth without being smothered in tannin.

Why are casks from 2014 interesting?

Because they are the oldest in existence from Ardnamurchan. The distillery began distilling in July 2014, so very few casks exist from that year, and they cannot be remade.

Does it need water?

At 59.1% a few drops usually make sense. Water opens the sherry fruit and calms the tannin. Add slowly and let the glass rest in between. See our full range of Highland Whisky.

How does it differ from the peated single cask release?

Markedly. Without smoke the sherry cask gets far more room, and the profile is dark fruit and nuts rather than salt and ash. Same distillery, two entirely different whiskies.