Ardnamurchan The Midgie Single Highland Malt Whisky 48%

The Scottish midge is a national affliction. It weighs nothing, it arrives in millions, and it ruins any summer evening in the Highlands. Naming a whisky after it is either self-deprecation or defiance, and probably both.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan The Midgie is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky composed of 50% ex-American bourbon casks, 48% port barriques and 2% sherry casks, bottled at 48%. The whisky is made from 75% unpeated and 25% peated malt.

The cask make-up is unusual in that the port barriques account for almost half. Most distilleries use port as a short finish, while The Midgie carries the casks as a full half of the blend. That gives red fruit and a vinous sweetness that does not normally take up so much room.

The ratio of peated to unpeated malt is also set differently from the house standard: only a quarter is peated here, where AD/ is an even split. The smoke is therefore a suggestion rather than a floor. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Complex from the first moment. Layers of cooked ham meet charred pineapple, prunes dipped in salt and strawberry jam on a salted cracker. The aromas round off with almond oil, coconut macaroon and a fresh touch of green mint.

Palate

Salt-baked pear, meadowsweet and wild flowers joined by lemon thyme. Deeper notes of raisin, cherry and cocoa powder add warmth, while pink peppercorns bring a subtle spiced bite.

Finish

Elegant and persistent with a gentle breath of liquid smoke, Himalayan salt and redcurrant juice. The balance between sweet and salty elements gives a dry, long-lasting close.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan The Midgie Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 48%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 50% ex-bourbon casks, 48% port barriques and 2% sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: The Midgie

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Saline · Vinous · Floral · Lightly Smoky · Spiced

Did You Know?

The Scottish midge is Culicoides impunctatus, and only the females bite, needing blood in order to lay eggs. They are most active at dusk and in still weather, which are precisely the conditions you would otherwise choose for a dram outdoors. There is a certain logic in naming a summer whisky after them.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Ardnamurchan The Midgie Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 48%

Why is it called The Midgie?

After the Scottish midge, a notorious summer affliction in the Highlands. This is the distillery’s summer release, and the name is a self-deprecating nod to something everyone on the west coast knows all too well.

How peated is it?

Only lightly. Just a quarter of the malt is peated, against half in the house AD expression. The smoke is a suggestion at the close rather than a load-bearing element.

Why so much port cask?

Because the port barriques make up 48% of the blend rather than being a short finish. That gives far more red fruit and vinous sweetness than an ordinary port finish would.

What do the 2% sherry casks do?

It is a very small share, but it is there deliberately. Two per cent is enough to add a darker fruit note in the background without changing the direction of the profile. That kind of fine tuning is only possible when working with many casks.

Is it a good summer whisky?

That is the idea behind it. At 48% with red fruit, flowers and only light smoke it is lighter on its feet than the distillery’s cask strength releases. See our full range of Highland Whisky.

Is it released every year?

The Midgie is the distillery’s recurring summer release, and the composition changes from year to year. This particular combination of casks and malt will not be made again.