Ardnamurchan Cask Strength Release AD 2023 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 58.1%

The month code has gone from the name. From 2023 the series is called simply by the year, and it is the same kind of decision as when the batch number disappeared from AD/: the distillery has stopped numbering its way out of things.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan Cask Strength AD 2023 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 58.1% full cask strength by Adelphi. It was composed from forty peated bourbon barrels and ten unpeated casks, bottled on 2 October 2023 in an outturn of 13,683.

Ardnamurchan makes both peated and unpeated malt, and both styles go into this series. Cask strength means the whisky has not been diluted with water before bottling, giving more concentration and a clearer cask character than the house standard at 46.8%.

The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured, and every bottle carries a QR code giving access to blockchain-registered production data. The distillery sits at Glenbeg on the westernmost mainland peninsula in Scotland.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Peat smoke and maritime salinity first, then vanilla and coconut from the bourbon wood. A clear cereal sweetness runs beneath it all, and at this strength the alcohol is up front, so let the glass rest a couple of minutes.

Palate

Powerful and oily. Vanilla, honey and baked fruit open, then the smoke arrives with weight along with black pepper and a dry oak note. The cask strength gives concentration, yet the whisky is not harsh.

Finish

Long and dry. Smoke, salt and spice, with a final malt sweetness lingering beneath it all.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan Cask Strength AD 2023 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 58.1%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 58.1%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Forty peated bourbon barrels and ten unpeated casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 2 October 2023
Number of bottles: 13,683
Edition: Cask Strength AD 2023
EAN no.: 5060383653328

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Cask Strength · Maritime · Vanilla · Spiced · Malty

Did You Know?

The bottling date is 2 October 2023, and it appears on the bottle. Ardnamurchan consistently states this sort of thing, the date, the cask split and the outturn, where most distilleries settle for a year. It makes it possible to compare two releases on something other than taste.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Ardnamurchan Cask Strength AD 2023 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 58.1%

What does full cask strength mean?

That the whisky was bottled without being diluted with water. You get the strength the casks actually held, and therefore more concentration and more cask character than in a release reduced to 40 or 46 per cent.

How do you drink a cask strength whisky?

Taste a small measure neat first so you know the starting point, then add water one drop at a time. At this strength water can open both the fruit and the smoke noticeably. You can add water, but you cannot take it out again.

How peated is it?

Clearly, though not overwhelmingly. Ardnamurchan blends peated and unpeated malt, so the smoke has fruit and malt sweetness for company. If you are used to Islay, this will read as more restrained.

What is the difference from the standard AD expression?

Strength and concentration. AD/ is bottled at 46.8%, while the Cask Strength series goes straight from cask to bottle. The underlying profile is the same, but everything is turned up.

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 rather than an age figure. See our full range of Highland Whisky.

Is it suitable for someone new to peated whisky?

Not as a first bottle. At this strength and with clear peat smoke it is for someone who already knows peat. Better to start with the house AD expression at 46.8%.