Ardnamurchan Rum Cask Release AD Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 55%

The cask has crossed the Atlantic twice. First as a bourbon barrel from Kentucky down to the Caribbean, where it held rum for a few years, and then on to a west-facing peninsula in Scotland. Three continents in one piece of wood.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan Rum Cask Release AD is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky first matured in bourbon casks and then finished in Caribbean rum casks, bottled at 55% in 2023.

Rum casks are not an obvious partner for peated whisky, but they work better than you might expect. Rum lays in a dry, almost green sugar cane sweetness quite different from sherry’s raisins or port’s red fruit. Together with Ardnamurchan’s saline maritime character the result reads tropical rather than sweet.

The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured. Ardnamurchan sits at Glenbeg on the westernmost mainland peninsula in Scotland and has been distilling since July 2014.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Salted cashews and vanilla extract first, with a coastal breeze behind. Beneath sit dry sugar cane sweetness and a light peat smoke, along with a note of toasted coconut from the bourbon maturation.

Palate

Dry sweetness to begin, sugar cane rather than syrup. Vanilla and baked banana follow, then the smoke arrives along with a saline minerality. At 55% the texture is oily and full, and the rum cask gives direction rather than weight.

Finish

Long and dry. Salt, smoke and a final sugar cane sweetness that lets go slowly.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan Rum Cask Release AD Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 55%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 55%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks, finished in Caribbean rum casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 2023
Edition: Rum Cask Release AD
EAN no.: 5060383653311

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Tropical · Sweet · Maritime · Cask Strength · Vanilla

Did You Know?

The great majority of rum casks in the whisky world were originally bourbon barrels. Kentucky may only use its casks once, so they are sold on, first to the Caribbean for rum, then to Scotland for whisky. A single oak cask can therefore hold three different spirits across three continents before ending up as garden furniture.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Ardnamurchan Rum Cask Release AD Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 55%

What does a rum cask do to whisky?

It lays in a dry, green sugar cane sweetness along with tropical fruit notes. It is a quite different sweetness from sherry’s raisins or port’s red fruit, more cane than dried fruit.

Do rum and peat smoke work together?

Better than you might think. The rum’s dry sweetness and the whisky’s saline smoke pull in different directions, and the result reads tropical rather than sticky. Several distilleries use the combination for exactly that reason.

Where do the rum casks come from?

The Caribbean. Most of them were originally bourbon barrels from the United States, sold on to rum producers and later again to Scottish distilleries. One cask may therefore have held three different spirits.

Is it peated?

Lightly to moderately. Ardnamurchan blends peated and unpeated malt, and the smoke sits as a floor rather than the main event. See our full range of Highland Whisky.

Does it need water?

At 55% a few drops can open the sweetness and round out the smoke. Add slowly, as the dry cane character is easy to drown.

How does it differ from the madeira and sauternes releases?

The rum cask gives dry sweetness and tropical fruit, the madeira cask gives caramel and nuts, and the sauternes cask gives honey and stone fruit. Same spirit, three quite different directions.