Ardnamurchan AD Single Highland Malt Whisky 46,8%

The batch number is gone. It sounds like a detail, but it is a statement: the distillery now considers the whisky consistent enough from one run to the next that you no longer need to keep track of which one you have.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan AD/ is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky composed of 65% ex-bourbon casks and 35% sherry casks and bottled at 46.8%. It is the first release without a batch number, marking the shift from numbered one-off releases to a permanent core expression.

The malt is split evenly between peated and unpeated. That is the distillery’s founding move: rather than keeping the two styles apart they bring them together, so the smoke becomes a floor rather than the main event. The split between bourbon and sherry gives vanilla, bright fruit and darker sherry fruit alike.

The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured, the carton is 100% recycled board, and every bottle carries a QR code giving access to blockchain-registered production data.

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 dominating.

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 it up towards the close. At 46.8% the body is good without weight.

Finish

Medium length. Malt, dark fruit and a dry smoky edge that lets go cleanly.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan AD Single Highland Malt 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
Edition: AD/

Flavour Profile

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

Did You Know?

Dropping the batch number is a vote of confidence in your own craft. As long as a distillery numbers its releases, it is implicitly saying every run tastes different. When the number disappears, the message is that the same expression can now be hit again and again, and that is harder than it sounds when the casks are never identical.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Ardnamurchan AD Single Highland Malt Whisky 46.8%

What does having no batch number mean?

That the whisky has moved from numbered one-off releases to a permanent core expression. The distillery believes it can hit the same expression consistently, so there is no longer any need to distinguish between runs.

How peated is it?

Moderately. With half the malt unpeated, the smoke sits as a dry floor beneath the fruit rather than filling the whole glass. If you are new to peat, it is a calm place to begin.

What is the difference from the numbered batches?

The recipe is the same: 65% bourbon, 35% sherry and half peated malt. The difference is that this one carries no batch number, because it now serves as the distillery’s standing expression rather than a one-off release.

Why is there no age statement?

Because the distillery only began distilling in July 2014 and is still young. Ardnamurchan uses month and year codes, or none at all, rather than an age figure.

What can you see with the QR code?

Production data registered on a blockchain: which malt, which casks and when. It is far greater openness than most distilleries offer. See our full range of Highland Whisky.

Is it a good place to start with Ardnamurchan?

Yes, it is the house standard and the bottle every other release is measured against. Once you have tasted it you know what the spirit can do, and the cask variants become far easier to read.