An older release of Corryvreckan, pulled from the shelf storeroom, carrying the character only years on a shelf can give a label.

Note: This 2009 release has been pulled from Whisky.dk's own storeroom and carries bottle code L9 231 12:21 6ML, along with minor wear on the box and a yellow duty seal.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Corryvreckan Old Version 2009 is an Islay Single Malt Whisky matured in ex-bourbon and French oak casks and bottled at 57.1%.

The name Corryvreckan comes from the mythical whirlpool north of Islay, a natural phenomenon reflecting the whisky's raw power and depth. Non-chill filtered, it retains its natural oils and full flavour richness.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Bold notes of tar, creosote and linseed oil meet dark fruit such as blackcurrant and cherry.

Palate

Spiced meat, espresso and dark chocolate are balanced by a splash of sea salt and aromatic spices like star anise and cloves.

Finish

Long, smoky and spiced, with notes of coffee and chocolate-covered cherries.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Corryvreckan Old Version 2009
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 57.1%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon and French oak casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
EAN no.: 5010494296280

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Salty · Spiced · Cask strength

Did You Know?

This bottle has been pulled from Whisky.dk's own storeroom and has therefore sat untouched for many years, giving the box natural wear while the whisky inside remains unaffected.

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There's something sun-drenched about Islay's cliffs this year. Ardbeg has brought a taste of Sicily home to its rugged, windswept coast, and the result looks like an old Italian film poster painted in smoke, orange peel and sunlight.

Expert's Description

Ardbeg Dolce Islay is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon casks and Marsala Dolce casks and bottled at 47.8%.

This is Ardbeg's official release for Ardbeg Day 2026, the distillery's annual celebration during Fèis Ìle on Islay, built this year around the theme "La Dolce Vita" — a nod to the glamour of 1960s Italian cinema. The whisky brings together malt matured in Marsala Dolce casks, the sweetest style of Sicilian fortified wine, with classic bourbon cask-matured Ardbeg. The Marsala casks add a deep, dry sweetness of dried fruit and a slightly oxidative edge, while the bourbon casks keep the distillery's usual citrus brightness and smoke intact. It's a limited release, only available while stocks last.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe apricot and raisins meet orange marmalade, with a hint of roasted almonds and a distant, smoky peat in the background.

Palate

Dark chocolate and roasted nuts sit on top of Ardbeg's signature smoke, while the Marsala casks add a sweet, almost wine-like depth.

Finish

Long and smoky, with a trailing note of applewood smoke and a last touch of sweet fruit.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Dolce Islay
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Scotland, Islay
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 47.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks and Marsala Dolce casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Edition: Ardbeg Day 2026 "Cue The Smoke"
EAN no.: 5010494999860

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Fruity · Sweet · Nutty · Spiced

Investment Potential

Medium-high. Ardbeg Day releases are among the most sought-after in the whisky world, often sold with a strict per-customer limit, and past releases like Smokiverse and the Anthology series have risen markedly in value since going out of stock.

Did You Know?

Ardbeg Day always falls on the last Saturday of Fèis Ìle, Islay's annual whisky and music festival — and in 2026 the whole celebration is built around a film-reel motif on the label, a nod to the 1960s cinema theme.

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A distillery's rebirth told in a single glass, the culmination of a journey that began with a shuttered distillery and ended in one of Islay's most loved names.

Note: There is minor wear on the box.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Renaissance 1998/2008 is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky distilled in 1998, bottled in 2008 after 10 years of maturation in ex-bourbon casks, non-chill filtered at cask strength, 55.9%.

The whisky marks the distillery's rebirth following its reopening in the late 1990s and was released as the culmination of the "Path to Peaty Maturity" series. Today it stands as a collector favourite and an icon of modern Ardbeg history.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Bold smoke meets a fresh sea breeze, citrus and spiced sweetness from the bourbon casks.

Palate

Full and complex with layers of peat, pepper, salted caramel and ripe fruit.

Finish

Long, lingering and intense, with a finely tuned balance of smoke, spice and sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Renaissance
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 55.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Distilled: 1998
Bottled: 2008
Edition: Path to Peaty Maturity – Renaissance
EAN no.: 5010494294286

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Salty · Spiced · Fruity

Investment Potential

Medium. As the culmination of a historically important series for Ardbeg, at cask strength and non-chill filtered, Renaissance is regarded by many as one of the most significant releases in the distillery's modern history.

Did You Know?

Renaissance was the final and most anticipated release in the "Path to Peaty Maturity" series, which followed Ardbeg's whisky year by year from the reopening until it reached its full potential.

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Californian sunshine and Scottish peat meet in one glass, as if Ardbeg took a detour through Napa Valley on the way home to Islay.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Smoketrails Napa Valley Edition is an Islay Single Malt Whisky matured in ex-bourbon and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon red wine casks and bottled at 46%.

The bottle belongs to the Smoketrails series, where Ardbeg travels the globe for casks that have never before touched a drop of Scotch whisky and lets them enter a dialogue with the distillery's peat smoke. This time it's the bold red wine casks from Napa Valley leaving their mark, in the current Batch US/NV 2024/03.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark berries and intense peat smoke mingle with a hint of spice and a light winey sweetness from the red wine casks.

Palate

Rich and well balanced, where peat smoke meets ripe fruit, oak and a gentle sweetness from the wine.

Finish

Long and lingering, with an elegant combination of smoke and tannin that leaves a rounded finish.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Smoketrails Napa Valley Edition
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 100 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks and Cabernet Sauvignon red wine casks
Edition: Batch US/NV 2024/03
EAN no.: 5010494991598

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Fruity · Winey · Spiced

Did You Know?

The Smoketrails series is Ardbeg's travel diary in a bottle, with every release drawing on casks from a new corner of the world, and the Napa Valley edition is the first to use American red wine casks.

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A universe of smoke, where the peat doesn't just fill the glass but the whole room around it.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Smokiverse is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 48.3%.

The nose delivers an explosion of fruity esters reminiscent of smoked bubblegum, mixed with ripening barley and toasted sourdough. The whisky is non-chill filtered, so its full, oily structure carries right through to the glass.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dense, sweet peat smoke mingles with lightly smoked tropical fruit, and a drop of water draws the aromas out even further.

Palate

Rich and creamy with a luxurious mouthfeel that shifts into sharp, sooty, spiced notes of creosote, aniseed and cloves, balanced by muscovado sugar.

Finish

Almost endless, leaving a lasting impression of earthy peat moss melting into glowing bonfire embers.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Smokiverse
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 48.3%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
EAN no.: 5010494995305

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Spiced · Creamy · Fruity

Did You Know?

The name Smokiverse is Ardbeg's own way of suggesting that the distillery's smoke spans a whole universe of nuance, from sweet to sooty, all within a single dram.

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Lavender and incense on an otherwise unforgiving Islay coastline, as if the distillery has for once thrown open the chapel door and let something entirely new inside.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Spectacular is an Islay Single Malt Whisky matured in ex-bourbon and port casks and bottled at 46%.

The bottle was released as Ardbeg's official Ardbeg Day whisky, and for the first time ever the distillery let part of the spirit mature entirely in casks that previously held port wine. The rest rested in ex-bourbon casks, and the two are married together so the fruit sweetness of the port can speak alongside Ardbeg's usual peat and smoke without drowning it out. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Lavender and incense candles mingle with a rich, almond-like nuttiness, while damp peat and woodsmoke sit as a deep base underneath.

Palate

Sweet leather and dark chocolate meet a cool, almost minty freshness, before the soft port fruit steps forward.

Finish

Salted caramel and ripe pear in a long, smoky finish that never turns too sweet.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Spectacular
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon and port casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Fruity · Creamy · Floral

Did You Know?

Spectacular is the first release in Ardbeg's history matured entirely in port casks, and it was celebrated as the year's big reveal on Ardbeg Day itself.

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Eight years on cask, yet far from tame, a whisky that insists on staying young and untamed.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Still Young 1998/2006 is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky distilled in 1998, bottled in 2006 after 8 years of maturation, non-chill filtered at 56.2%.

The name Still Young is the distillery's own comment on the fact that, despite its age, the whisky still behaves like a young, raw Ardbeg, with all the intensity that entails.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raw peat and a distinct youthful sharpness, underpinned by a light sweetness from the casks.

Palate

Intense smoke and a marked phenolic edge, direct and uncompromising in the style of the distillery's younger releases.

Finish

Long and smoky, with a lasting dryness that ties it all together.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Still Young
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 56.2%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Distilled: 1998
Bottled: 2006
Edition: Still Young
EAN no.: 5010494277630

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Young and raw · Cask strength-led · Intense

Investment Potential

Medium. As a discontinued vintage bottling from the late 1990s, non-chill filtered and at high strength, Still Young typically appeals to collectors following Ardbeg's early vintages after the 1997 reopening.

Did You Know?

The name Still Young is the distillery's way of underlining that, even after 8 years on cask, the whisky insists on tasting young, raw and untamed.

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Named after a stellar explosion, and just as violent, a whisky that once pushed the limits of how peated an Islay single malt could get.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Supernova SN 2015 Committee Release is an Islay Single Malt Whisky bottled in 2015 at 54.3%.

The Supernova series was Ardbeg's answer to the question of just how peated a single malt could become, and this 2015 release was a Committee Exclusive reserved for the distillery's fan community.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Surprisingly floral, with fresh pine, sweet golden syrup and a hint of medicinal peat carrying a touch of youth without becoming overpowering.

Palate

Smoky, with an abundance of coal dust, more freshly sawn pine, a sweet candy floss note, melted butter and white pepper in an extremely peated whole.

Finish

A lingering dryness coats the tongue, with dusty embers from a bonfire leaving their mark.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Supernova SN 2015
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 54.3%
Size: 70 CL
Bottled: 2015
Edition: Committee Release
EAN no.: 5010494928303

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Extremely peated · Floral · Sweet

Investment Potential

High. The Supernova series holds a reputation as among the most heavily peated single malts ever bottled, and as a 2015 Committee Exclusive this release is sought after by collectors of extreme Islay bottlings.

Did You Know?

The Supernova series was originally created as a direct challenge to make the most heavily peated whisky Ardbeg had ever produced, with a phenol content far above the distillery's permanent releases.

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The scent of an ashtray, a whisky guru who can't help but praise it, and the bottle most Islay lovers eventually come back to.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Ten The Ultimate is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured for 10 years and bottled at 46%.

The peaty aroma signals a high phenol content, and the pronounced ashtray character is part of what has made this particular 10-year-old one of the most praised entry-level single malts on the market. The whisky is non-chill filtered and carries a ppm content of 50-55, keeping it close to the distillery's raw starting point.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Clean and smoky with a hint of citrus freshness, with barbecue notes lying just beneath the surface.

Palate

Iodine, salt, spice and liquorice in a heavy, intense smoke carried by an underlying sweetness.

Finish

Marked by peat, smoke and sweetness, powerful and with good length.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Ten The Ultimate
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Edition: The Ultimate
EAN no.: 5010494195286

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Salty · Spiced · Citrus-fresh

Did You Know?

Many Islay connoisseurs point to Ardbeg Ten as the 10-year-old that best shows what the distillery is about, without needing to pay for a limited edition batch.

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21 years on cask and only 8,268 bottles in the world, an age Ardbeg rarely puts on display.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Twenty One 21 Year Old Committee Release 2016 is an Islay Single Malt Whisky distilled in spring 1995, bottled in 2016 after 21 years of maturation, at 46%.

The release is a Committee Release, reserved for members of Ardbeg's own fan community, and is among the oldest vintage bottles the distillery has ever released at this scale.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Restrained, mature peat alongside a soft sweetness that only truly shows after so many years on cask.

Palate

Rounded and well balanced, where the classic Ardbeg smoke has been smoothed by decades of maturation without losing its identity.

Finish

Long and elegant, with a lasting smoky warmth that speaks to the age.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Twenty One
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
Age: 21 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Distilled: Spring 1995
Bottled: 2016
Number of bottles: 8,268 bottles
Edition: Committee Release 2016
EAN no.: 5010494934410

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Mature · Elegant · Rounded

Investment Potential

High. As one of Ardbeg's oldest releases, limited to 8,268 bottles and long sold out from the distillery, Twenty One is regarded as one of the most sought-after bottles among Ardbeg collectors.

Did You Know?

Ardbeg won "World Whisky of the Year" two years running in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible, a recognition that cemented the distillery's status in the very years this 21-year-old was bottled.

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Named after the loch the distillery draws its water from, and just as dark and pulling as the name suggests.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Uigeadail is an Islay Single Malt Whisky matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks and bottled at 54.2%.

The name is pronounced "Oog-a-dal" and comes from the loch where Ardbeg draws its water, a direct nod to the island's rugged nature. The whisky is non-chill filtered and unadulterated with colour, preserving the full depth from both the bourbon and sherry casks.

Uigeadail has won several international awards and is regarded by many as one of the most complete releases in Ardbeg's range, precisely because it unites the distillery's peat smoke with a deep sherry sweetness without losing balance.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Tar, burnt wood and maritime notes meet dried fruit, honey and warm spice from the sherry casks.

Palate

Bold and complex, where smoky tar, burnt sugar and dark chocolate play alongside raisins and spice.

Finish

Long and warm, with a deep and satisfying finish that ties smoke and sweetness together.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Uigeadail
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 54.2%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon and sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5010494220278

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Sherry-matured · Maritime · Spiced

Did You Know?

Uigeadail has scored as high as 97.5 points in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible, one of the highest ratings any Ardbeg release has received.

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Just 6 years old and already named for exactly what it is, a whisky that makes no secret of its youth.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Very Young 1998/2004 is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky distilled in 1998, bottled in 2004 after 6 years of maturation, non-chill filtered at 58.3%.

Very Young was part of the same vintage series as Still Young and Renaissance, where Ardbeg tracked its own whisky through the maturation process after the 1997 reopening, letting the name of each release reflect how far the whisky had come.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raw, direct peat with a sharp, youthful intensity and a hint of fresh citrus.

Palate

Powerful smoke and a marked phenolic edge, uncompromising and direct in style.

Finish

Long and dry, with a lasting smoky sharpness underlining the whisky's young origins.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Very Young
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 6 years
ABV: 58.3%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Distilled: 1998
Bottled: 2004
Edition: Very Young
EAN no.: 5010494222265

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Young and raw · Cask strength-led · Citrus-fresh

Investment Potential

Medium. As the youngest release in Ardbeg's vintage series from the reopening years, at high cask strength and long sold out, Very Young appeals to collectors wanting the full line-up from Very Young through Still Young to Renaissance.

Did You Know?

Very Young, Still Young and Renaissance together form a unique series where Ardbeg let the names tell the story of how the whisky evolved from young and raw to fully mature, year by year.

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A small, untamed beast with sharp teeth, far younger and far wilder than its bigger siblings on the shelf.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Wee Beastie is an Islay Single Malt Whisky matured for 5 years in ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 47.4%.

With its young age, Wee Beastie is completely untamed in its smoky character, without the rounding-off that extra years of maturation would otherwise bring. That makes it the most uncompromising and direct introduction to Ardbeg's style, carrying a ppm content of 50-55.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh and herbal with vanilla, pears, freshly ground black pepper and honey-glazed ham, plus a hint of resin.

Palate

Full and explosive with plenty of chocolate, tar and smoked bacon, followed by eucalyptus and aniseed.

Finish

Long and salted, with notes of cocoa, cream caramel and salted meat.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Wee Beastie
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
Age: 5 years
ABV: 47.4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks
EAN no.: 5010494961577

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Spiced · Salty · Young and wild

Did You Know?

Wee Beastie is the youngest permanent release in Ardbeg's range, often used by the distillery to show just how raw and direct the style is before the casks smooth off the edges.

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Ardlair is not a distillery. It is a name Ardmore uses when the smoke stays at home, the unpeated half of the house, named after a stone circle out in the surrounding landscape. Here it has spent eleven years in a sherry cask at 62.5%.

The Expert's Description

Ardlair 2011/2023 Signatory Vintage 11 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a refill Oloroso Sherry Butt and bottled at 62.5% cask strength. Cask 900032 was distilled on 27 January 2011 and bottled on 11 January 2023 in Signatory's Cask Strength Collection, giving 597 bottles.

Ardmore is one of the few Highland distilleries with peat smoke as a core style, and Ardlair is the name given to the unpeated production. Without the smoke the spirit’s own fruitiness and malt sweetness step forward more clearly, which makes the whisky far more receptive to a sherry cask.

That the cask is refill rather than first fill matters here. A refill Oloroso Butt gives up less colour and less tannin, so the sherry settles as a layer on top instead of taking over. The whisky is bottled without filtration and without added colour.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and figs first, with roasted nuts and honey behind. There is dried ginger and spice in it, and beneath the sherry sits a bright apple fruitiness that tells you the spirit is unpeated.

Palate

Dark chocolate and walnut open, followed by sweet sherry and spiced oak. The vanilla arrives late. At 62.5% the concentration is considerable, and the whisky takes water well, turning rounder rather than thinner.

Finish

Long and warming with persistent sherry sweetness and elegant oak tannins that let go slowly.

Specifications

Name: Ardlair 2011/2023 Signatory Vintage 11 Years Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 62.5%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 62.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill Oloroso Sherry Butt, cask no. 900032
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 27 January 2011
Bottled: 11 January 2023
Number of bottles: 597
Edition: Cask Strength Collection
EAN no.: 5021944121526

Flavour Profile

Sherry Matured · Nutty · Spiced · Fruity · Cask Strength · Honeyed

Did You Know?

Ardlair is named after a stone circle near the distillery. Ardmore itself was built in 1898 by Adam Teacher to secure malt for the family blend, Teacher's Highland Cream, and the house has made peated whisky ever since. Ardlair is the exception, the half that never sees peat.

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Two casks filled on the same day, in the same warehouse, with the same spirit. One was emptied in January, the other in March. Fourteen months and four digits separate them, and they do not taste alike. That is exactly why single casks are interesting.

The Expert's Description

Ardlair 2011/2023 Signatory Vintage 12 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a refill Oloroso Sherry Butt and bottled at 63.4% cask strength. Cask 900028 was distilled on 27 January 2011 and bottled on 8 March 2023, giving 622 bottles in Signatory's Cask Strength Collection.

Ardlair is the Ardmore distillery’s unpeated whisky, and because there is no smoke to contend with, the cask can work directly on the spirit’s fruitiness. The refill sherry cask gives a complex, fruity profile without drowning the spirit’s own character, and that balance is the whole point of a refill cask over a first fill.

The whisky is bottled without chill filtration and with natural colour. Ardmore sits at Kennethmont in Aberdeenshire and has been running since 1898.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh apples first, then pistachios and burnt almonds. A dry sherry note sits behind, along with a light salted caramel sweetness that ties it together. At 63.4% the alcohol is obvious, so give the glass a little time.

Palate

Creamy in texture despite the strength. Dried fruit and nuts open, then salted caramel and a clear sherry character with spiced oak underneath. The whisky is powerful, yet it has finesse enough not to be merely power.

Finish

Long and persistent. Nuts, dried fruit and a dry oak close, where the sherry lets go last.

Specifications

Name: Ardlair 2011/2023 Signatory Vintage 12 Years Old Sherry Butt Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 63.4%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 63.4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill Oloroso Sherry Butt, cask no. 900028
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 27 January 2011
Bottled: 8 March 2023
Number of bottles: 622
Edition: Cask Strength Collection

Flavour Profile

Sherry Matured · Nutty · Fruity · Creamy · Cask Strength · Spiced

Did You Know?

Ardmore makes medium peated whisky at around 12 to 14 ppm, which is low compared with Islay but unusual for a Highland distillery. It is one of very few in the region where peat smoke is the core style rather than a side project. Ardlair is the part of the production where the peat is left out.

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A valinch is the copper tube you push into a cask to draw a sample. Two Italians named their company after that very tool, and after the mallet that knocks the bung loose. It says rather precisely what they do.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 12 Years Old Valinch & Mallet 2009/2021 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a Sherry Hogshead and bottled at 52.2%. Cask 706023 was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2021, giving 338 bottles.

Ardmore makes peated whisky as its core style, which is unusual for a Highland distillery. The smoke sits at around 12 to 14 ppm, moderate compared with Islay but clear enough to give the whisky a dry earthy floor. Combined with a sherry cask it produces a profile where dark fruit and smoke pull in opposite directions.

A hogshead holds around 250 litres, so between a bourbon barrel and a sherry butt. It gives more wood contact per litre than a butt, which is why twelve years in a hogshead can travel further than twelve years in a larger cask. Valinch & Mallet was founded in 2015 by two Italian friends.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and dark orange first, with peat smoke as a dry undercarriage. Behind them come toasted malt, walnut and a hint of leather. The smoke is not maritime, it reads more like smouldering wood than sea air.

Palate

Full and in two halves. The sherry’s dried fruit and chocolate open, then the smoke enters from the side along with black pepper and a dry oak tannin. At 52.2% the concentration is good, and the two elements keep each other in check the whole way.

Finish

Long. Smoke, dark fruit and spiced oak leave together, with a dry ash note right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 12 Years Old Valinch & Mallet 2009/2021 Single Highland Malt Whisky 52.2%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Valinch & Mallet
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 52.2%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry Hogshead, cask no. 706023
Distilled: 2009
Bottled: 2021
Number of bottles: 338

Flavour Profile

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

Did You Know?

The word valinch describes the copper tube a warehouse manager pushes down through the bung hole to draw a sample, and a mallet is the wooden hammer that knocks the bung loose again. Valinch & Mallet have therefore named themselves after the two tools an independent bottler uses most, the ones in your hands when you decide whether a cask is good enough.

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Thirty-two bottles, thirty-two chess pieces. Two kings, two queens, four bishops, four knights, four rooks and sixteen pawns, each one a whisky from a different distillery. This one stands on g7, and behind the piece sits a seventeen year old Ardmore at full cask strength.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 17 Years Old The Chess Malt Collection G7 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured entirely in bourbon wood and bottled at 59.7% cask strength. It was distilled in February 2002 and bottled in June 2019, and the cask gave 239 bottles.

The Chess Malt Collection is a series of 32 bottlings from different distilleries across Scotland, where each bottle corresponds to a piece on the chessboard, split evenly between black and white. The series gathers distilleries you rarely see side by side, tied together by a concept rather than by a region or a cask type.

Ardmore is one of the few Highland distilleries with peat smoke as a core style, and after seventeen years in bourbon wood the smoke has grown softer and better integrated. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Tropical fruit first, mango, pineapple and a little melon, which is typical of long maturation in bourbon casks. Beneath sit toasted nuts, vanilla and a light dry smoke closer to cold ash than a fire.

Palate

Full and oily. Tropical fruit and honey open, then nuts, vanilla and a dry smoky edge. The 59.7% is pronounced, but after seventeen years there is roundness enough to carry it. Water draws the fruit further forward.

Finish

Long and dry. Smoke, toasted nuts and oak, with a final sweetness of tropical fruit that lingers.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 17 Years Old The Chess Malt Collection G7 Single Highland Malt Whisky 59.7%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: The Chess Malt Collection
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 17 years
ABV: 59.7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: February 2002
Bottled: June 2019
Number of bottles: 239
Edition: The Chess Malt Collection G7

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Tropical Fruit · Nutty · Vanilla · Cask Strength · Oaky

Investment Potential

Medium. The series is built to be collected, and a concept of 32 pieces creates demand for the individual bottles long after release. With only 239 bottles from this cask, an age of seventeen years and full cask strength, there are several reasons this one will be hard to find again.

Did You Know?

The series consists of 32 different whiskies, one for each piece on a chessboard: two kings, two queens, four bishops, four knights, four rooks and sixteen pawns, split evenly between black and white. The designation G7 refers to the square on the board, and on a chessboard a pawn stands on g7 at the start of the game.

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Norway buys its spirits through a state monopoly, and when Vinmonopolet picks a single cask it does so after a blind tasting with no regard for name or label. This cask made it through. It is number 21 in the series.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 2008/2015 Signatory Vintage 7 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a Bourbon Barrel and bottled at 40%. Cask 800083 was distilled in 2008 and bottled in 2015 as a single cask for Vinmonopolet, giving 357 bottles.

The combination is unusual: a single cask at 40%. Most single cask releases go into the bottle at cask strength, but here the whisky has been reduced to standard strength. In return it is neither chill filtered nor coloured, which at 40% requires a cask with real body behind it.

Ardmore makes peated whisky as its core style at around 12 to 14 ppm. After seven years in a bourbon barrel the smoke is still fresh and direct, with the cask’s vanilla and cereal standing clearly alongside.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla and pale malt first, with peat smoke as a dry line underneath. There is honey and green apple in it, plus a light soot or ash note that tells you peat is in play.

Palate

Soft and straightforward. Malt, vanilla and baked apple open, then the smoke arrives as a dry earthy floor along with a light peppery spice. At 40% it drinks easily, and the smoke never dominates.

Finish

Medium length. Malt, honey and a dry smoky note that lets go calmly without bitterness.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 2008/2015 Signatory Vintage 7 Years Old Vinmonopolet Single Highland Malt Whisky 40%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 7 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon Barrel, cask no. 800083
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2008
Bottled: 2015
Number of bottles: 357
Edition: Single Cask for Vinmonopolet No. 21

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Malty · Vanilla · Fruity · Soft · Dry

Investment Potential

Medium. Single casks for Vinmonopolet are not reissued, and they exist only in the outturn the cask gave, here 357 bottles. Because they are distributed through one channel in one country, they rarely surface on the wider market afterwards.

Did You Know?

Vinmonopolet was established in 1922 and has since been Norway’s only legal channel for the sale of spirits. That is precisely what makes their single cask selections interesting: there are no competing chains to accommodate, and the choice is made by a buying team rather than by a brand.

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The casks had held Islay whisky before Ardmore moved in. It sounds like a footnote, but it changes everything: here Highland peat meets the remains of coastal peat in the wood itself.

Please note: This bottle has wear and rust on the cap.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 2009/2020 Signatory Vintage 11 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon casks that previously held Islay whisky and bottled at 46%. It was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2020 in Signatory’s Un-Chillfiltered Collection.

A cask does not forget. If it has held heavily peated Islay whisky, phenols remain in the staves and leach into the next filling. When the contents are already peated Highland malt from Ardmore, you end up with two different kinds of smoke layered on each other: the dry earthy one from Aberdeenshire and a hint of the maritime one from the west coast.

The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured. Bottling at 46% was chosen to preserve body and mouthfeel without going all the way to cask strength.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dry smoke first, with a suggestion of seaweed and iodine behind it that has no business being in a Highland. Vanilla, malt and green apple from the bourbon wood sit underneath.

Palate

Malty and soft to begin, then the smoke arrives in two layers: first the dry earthy one, then a saltier, more medicinal note from the cask’s past life. At 46% there is good body, and the two kinds of smoke stand clearly beside each other.

Finish

Medium to long. Ash, salt and malt, with a dry close where the Islay inheritance lingers longest.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 2009/2020 Signatory Vintage 11 Years Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks that previously held Islay whisky
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2009
Bottled: 2020
Edition: The Un-Chillfiltered Collection

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Maritime · Malty · Vanilla · Dry · Spiced

Did You Know?

Ardmore was built in 1898 by Adam Teacher to secure malt for the family blend, Teacher's Highland Cream. For decades the distillery was almost invisible to consumers, because virtually all of its output went straight into blends. That is why most Ardmore bottles on the market still come from independent bottlers.

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Second fill after Islay. Two words that say a great deal: the cask has held bourbon, then a heavily peated Islay, and now Ardmore for thirteen years. There is not much force left in the wood, and that is exactly the point.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 2009/2023 Signatory Vintage 13 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in second fill bourbon casks after Islay whisky and bottled at 46%. It was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2023 in Signatory’s Un-Chillfiltered Collection.

The difference from a first fill is marked. A second fill cask gives up less vanilla, less colour and less tannin, so Ardmore’s own peated character gets far more room. What Islay phenols remain in the staves are correspondingly muted, sitting as a suggestion rather than a layer.

Thirteen years is a long time for a cask that gives little. The result is a whisky where the spirit stands at the front and the wood keeps to the background. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dry smoke and toasted malt first, with honey and a light citrus peel behind. The vanilla is subdued, and a clean cereal note runs through it all. This is the spirit talking, not the cask.

Palate

Malty and dry. The smoke arrives early and stays, with honey and baked apple underneath. There is a light saline undercurrent from the cask’s Islay past and a dry, peppery turn mid-palate. At 46% the body is good without being heavy.

Finish

Medium and dry. Ash, malt and a lightly bitter oak note that lets go cleanly.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 2009/2023 Signatory Vintage 13 Years Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Second fill bourbon casks after Islay whisky
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2009
Bottled: 2023
Edition: The Un-Chillfiltered Collection
EAN no.: 5021944121717

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Malty · Dry · Honeyed · Spiced · Clean

Did You Know?

Ardmore was the last Scottish malt distillery to use coal-fired stills. Only in 2001 did it switch to steam heating. Direct fire gives a slightly more scorched, meaty spirit, so whisky distilled at Ardmore before the turn of the millennium has a different character from what is made today.

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Italians have had a fondness for Scotch whisky for decades that the Scots themselves have struggled to explain. Wilson & Morgan have been bottling since 1992, and here they have taken a peated Highland and given it a spell in an Islay cask. This is not restraint.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 2010/2021 Islay Cask Finish Wilson & Morgan 10 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American oak and finished in an Islay cask, bottled at 48%. Cask 803511 was distilled on 30 June 2010 and bottled on 16 June 2021 in the Barrel Selection Private Cask range.

An Islay finish on a whisky that is already peated is a double dose. Ardmore’s own smoke is dry and earthy from inland peat in Aberdeenshire, while the Islay cask lays salt, seaweed and a medicinal edge over the top. The two kinds of smoke come from different landscapes and behave differently in the glass.

Wilson & Morgan was founded in 1992 and is run by the Venetian Rossi family. Italy has an unusually long tradition of independent whisky bottling, and several of the most respected houses in the trade are Italian.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Smoke in two layers: first the dry ashy one from Ardmore, then a saltier and more medicinal note from the Islay cask. Vanilla, honey and a light toasted malt sit underneath.

Palate

Dry and smoky from the first sip. Ash and salt open, then malt sweetness and a touch of citrus that keeps the whisky from becoming one-note. At 48% the body is good, and the smoke holds all the way without turning sharp.

Finish

Long and dry. Ash, salt and peppery oak, with a light sweetness sitting beneath the smoke at the close.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 2010/2021 Islay Cask Finish Wilson & Morgan 10 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 48%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Wilson & Morgan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak, finished in an Islay cask, cask no. 803511
Distilled: 30 June 2010
Bottled: 16 June 2021
Edition: Barrel Selection Private Cask

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Maritime · Dry · Malty · Spiced · Vanilla

Did You Know?

Wilson & Morgan has Italian roots, and that is no accident. When Scottish distilleries sold casks off inexpensively in the post-war decades, Italian importers were among the most persistent buyers. That is why many of the most legendary old bottlings carry Italian labels, and why Italian houses still hold a strong position in the trade.

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Two casks with consecutive numbers, 800999 and 801000, were filled on the same day and emptied on the same day eleven years later. Neighbours the whole way through. They were vatted together into 480 bottles, and it is still single malt.

Please note: This bottle has wear and rust on the cap.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 2010/2021 Signatory Vintage 11 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon casks 800999 and 801000 and bottled at 46%. It was distilled on 6 May 2010 and bottled on 6 August 2021 in Signatory’s Un-Chillfiltered Collection, giving 480 bottles.

Vatting two casks rather than bottling them separately is a deliberate choice. You lose the individuality of a single cask but gain a larger, better balanced release where one cask’s quirks get evened out. As long as all the whisky comes from one distillery, the term Single Malt Whisky still applies.

Here there is no Islay past in the wood and no sherry, only plain bourbon casks. That gives Ardmore’s own peated character and malt sweetness a clear run, and the result is the most straightforward of Signatory’s Ardmore releases in this range.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla and pale malt first, with dry smoke as a firm undercarriage. There is honey, green apple and a light coconut note from the bourbon wood. Clean and precise with nothing heavy about it.

Palate

Malty and soft. Vanilla and baked apple open, then the smoke arrives as a dry earthy note alongside white pepper. At 46% the body is good, and the balance between sweetness and smoke stays even the whole way.

Finish

Medium length. Malt, vanilla and a dry ash note that lets go cleanly without bitterness.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 2010/2021 Signatory Vintage 11 Years Old Single Highland Malt Whisky 46%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks no. 800999 and 801000
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 6 May 2010
Bottled: 6 August 2021
Number of bottles: 480
Edition: The Un-Chillfiltered Collection

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Malty · Vanilla · Fruity · Dry · Spiced

Did You Know?

Ardmore’s peat comes from the mainland in Aberdeenshire, not from Islay. Mainland peat is formed from heather, moss and wood rather than seaweed and salt water, so it gives a dry, earthy and almost sooty smoke without iodine or tar. It is the same difference you can taste between a Highland and an Islay without seeing the labels.

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Three casks from April 2010 sat for twelve years before somebody decided they belonged together. That is the kind of choice that never makes it onto the label, yet it decides what ends up in the glass.

Please note: This bottle has wear and rust on the cap.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 2010/2022 Signatory Vintage 12 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon casks 800518, 800527 and 800531 and bottled at 46%. It was distilled in April 2010 and bottled in November 2022 in Signatory’s Un-Chillfiltered Collection.

The Un-Chillfiltered Collection was created for those who want single malt in its most natural form: bottled without chill filtration and without added colour, so the whisky reaches the bottle as it came out of the cask, apart from an adjustment of strength to 46%.

Three bourbon casks give a broader starting point than one. Each cask has its own small quirk, and vatted together they even each other out. The result is an Ardmore where the peat smoke and the malt sweetness hold each other in balance rather than one cask’s character dominating.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toasted malt and dry smoke first, with honey and baked apple behind. There is a light coconut and vanilla note from the bourbon wood and a fine, clean cereal floor running through it all.

Palate

Full and malty. Honey and vanilla open, then the smoke arrives as a dry earthy floor along with a touch of pepper and citrus peel. After twelve years the edges have been smoothed off, and balance is the real strength here.

Finish

Medium to long. Malt, honey and dry smoke, letting go slowly and cleanly.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 2010/2022 Signatory Vintage 12 Years Old Single Highland Malt Whisky 46%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks no. 800518, 800527 and 800531
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: April 2010
Bottled: November 2022
Edition: The Un-Chillfiltered Collection

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Malty · Honeyed · Vanilla · Dry · Balanced

Did You Know?

Signatory Vintage was founded in 1988 by Andrew Symington and is today one of Scotland’s most prolific independent bottling houses. The company also owns the Edradour distillery in Perthshire, and Signatory’s warehousing and bottling facilities sit right beside it. The journey from cask to bottle is therefore a short one.

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Càrn Mòr means the great cairn in Gaelic, and the Strictly Limited range is the house’s younger half: whisky that has not yet reached double figures but already has something to say. This one is nine years old and comes from a bourbon barrel.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 2012/2022 Càrn Mòr 9 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a Bourbon Barrel and bottled at 47.5%. It was distilled in 2012 and bottled in 2022 in the Strictly Limited range, giving 1,184 bottles.

Strictly Limited is Càrn Mòr’s range for younger releases, all bottled at 47.5% and typically composed from a small group of casks. Over the years the series has held whisky from Glen Ord, Bunnahabhain, Benrinnes, Ben Nevis, Pulteney, Caol Ila, BenRiach and Mortlach, and now Ardmore too.

Nine years in a bourbon barrel is enough for Ardmore’s peated character to settle without being rounded away. The smoke is still fresh, and the cask’s vanilla and cereal stand clearly beside it. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured. Càrn Mòr is part of Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toasted malt and dry smoke first, with vanilla and pale honey behind. There is green apple and a light coconut note from the bourbon wood, and it all reads clean and young.

Palate

Fresh and malty. Vanilla and baked apple open, then the smoke arrives as a dry earthy line along with white pepper. At 47.5% the body is good, and the youthful freshness is part of the point rather than a shortcoming.

Finish

Medium length. Malt, dry smoke and a light oak dryness that lets go cleanly without bitterness.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 2012/2022 Càrn Mòr 9 Years Old Single Highland Malt Whisky 47.5%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Càrn Mòr
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 47.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon Barrel
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2012
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 1,184
Edition: Strictly Limited
EAN no.: 5060109229295

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Malty · Vanilla · Fresh · Dry · Spiced

Did You Know?

Càrn Mòr is run by Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers, one of Scotland’s oldest whisky families. The same house is behind the Aberargie distillery and the Old Perth range. The family formally traded as Morrison & Mackay until October 2020, when the name was changed to the present one.

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A quarter cask holds around 125 litres, a quarter of a sherry butt. A smaller cask means more wood contact per drop, and the whisky matures faster. In the nineteenth century it was the standard size, because casks had to be carried on horseback.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore Traditional Cask is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in traditional oak casks and finished in Quarter Casks, bottled at 46%. It is the distillery’s own release and one of the few official Ardmore bottles on the market.

Ardmore is one of the few Highland distilleries where peat smoke is the core style rather than a side project. The smoke comes from peat burned during the malting of the barley, and because the peat is from inland Aberdeenshire it reads dry and earthy rather than maritime.

The finish in small hand-made quarter casks adds depth and a softness that large casks cannot deliver in the same time. The whisky is bottled at 46% and without chill filtration, which preserves body and mouthfeel.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft and spiced. Peat smoke first, then vanilla and a light sweetness of seaweed and ripe fruit. There is a creamy thread through it all that is the distillery’s signature.

Palate

Creamy and full. Peat, vanilla and sweet fruit open, then a spiced warmth arrives from the quarter cask finish. At 46% the body is good, and the smoke sits as a warm floor rather than a point.

Finish

Medium length. Peat, malt and a lightly spiced oak note that lets go softly.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore Traditional Cask Single Highland Malt Whisky 46%
Distillery: Ardmore
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Traditional oak casks and finished in Quarter Casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Edition: Traditional Cask
EAN no.: 5010019636591

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Creamy · Vanilla · Fruity · Spiced · Soft

Did You Know?

Ardmore was founded in 1898 by Adam Teacher to secure malt for the family blend, Teacher's Highland Cream. For more than a century the distillery was largely invisible to consumers, because nearly all its output went straight into blends. Official bottlings under its own name are therefore a relatively recent thing.

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The Bholsa caves sit in the cliffs not far from the distillery. You can walk into them, and most people remember the trip. Ardnahoe named a whisky after them, and it is as dark and as insistent as the name suggests.

The Expert's Description

Ardnahoe Bholsa is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured mainly in Oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 50%. It is neither chill filtered nor coloured, which preserves its natural depth.

Ardnahoe opened in October 2018 as Islay’s ninth distillery, built by the independent bottler Hunter Laing. It stands out technically: it is the only distillery on Islay using worm tubs to cool the spirit, and its lyne arms are the longest in Scotland at 7.5 metres. Both choices give a fuller, oilier spirit.

The Oloroso casks lay dark fruit and nuts beneath the Islay peat smoke, and at 50% there is body enough to carry both without either taking over.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Intense red fruit first, then roasted walnuts and fresh orange peel. Beneath sits an elegant peat smoke, clear without being sharp.

Palate

Layers of raisins, sweet dates and juicy plums open, all balanced by Islay’s characteristic peat smoke. The texture is full and lightly oily, worm tubs in practice. At 50% the concentration holds the whole way.

Finish

Long and spiced, with a touch of black pepper and a smoke that lingers beneath the dark fruit.

Specifications

Name: Ardnahoe Bholsa Single Islay Malt Whisky 50%
Distillery: Ardnahoe
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Mainly Oloroso sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Bholsa
EAN no.: 5060354287996

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Sherry Matured · Dark Fruit · Spiced · Full Bodied · Maritime

Did You Know?

Ardnahoe draws its water from Loch Ardnahoe, said to be the deepest loch on Islay. That was one of the main reasons the site was chosen for the distillery: plentiful clean, soft water with a natural peat character from the surrounding landscape.

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The first cask strength batch from a distillery that has only been making whisky since 2018. There is no history to lean on and no older vintages to compare against. There is just five years in first fill bourbon and 60.9% in the bottle.

The Expert's Description

Ardnahoe Cask Strength Batch 1 is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured for five years in carefully selected 1st fill bourbon casks and bottled at 60.9% natural cask strength. It is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

First fill bourbon casks are a deliberate counterweight to the young age. The casks are active and give vanilla, coconut and body quickly, and they meet a spirit that is already full thanks to Ardnahoe’s worm tubs and long lyne arms. The combination delivers more weight than five years would normally allow.

Ardnahoe is Islay’s ninth distillery and was built by the independent bottler Hunter Laing. It opened in October 2018 and is the only one on the island using worm tubs.

Tasting Notes

Nose

A fresh coastal breeze first, then earthy peat smoke and rich cocoa. Vanilla and coconut from the new bourbon wood sit beneath, and at 60.9% the alcohol is pronounced, so let the glass rest a couple of minutes.

Palate

Orchard fruits open, followed by herbal tea and salted caramel developing into a complex, full body. The smoke sits underneath and comes forward more clearly with a little water. The texture is oily and fills out well.

Finish

A smoky close with elegant citrus shades that hang on the palate for a long time.

Specifications

Name: Ardnahoe Cask Strength Batch 1 Single Islay Malt Whisky 60.9%
Distillery: Ardnahoe
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 5 years
ABV: 60.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Cask Strength Batch 1

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Cask Strength · Vanilla · Fruity · Maritime · Salted Caramel

Investment Potential

Medium. A first batch in a series is by definition a one-off expression, and from a distillery producing only since 2018, early releases are the kind of bottle collectors look for once the house has established itself.

Did You Know?

Ardnahoe’s stills have the longest lyne arms in Scotland, 7.5 metres from still to condenser. Normally a long lyne arm gives a lighter spirit, because heavy vapours fall back along the way. But the distillery also uses worm tubs, which pull in the opposite direction. The two choices partly cancel each other out, and that is precisely the intention.

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When Stewart Laing died in the spring of 2026, he left behind more than a distillery on Islay's north-east coast. He left one last bottle, composed to his own taste, boxed with a personal letter written in his own hand.

Expert Description

Ardnahoe Chairman's Selection is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured 6 years in sherry and bourbon casks and bottled at cask strength 60.2%.

This is a tribute release, composed to Stewart Laing's own specifications shortly before his death, and it carries his name as the final whisky he personally signed off on. Ardnahoe drew on older stock for this release and selected the distillery's most heavily peated spirit for the job - making Chairman's Selection the smokiest whisky Ardnahoe has bottled to date. The casks are predominantly first-fill sherry, topped up with bourbon, and the combination gives a depth not found elsewhere in the distillery's range. The whisky is neither chill-filtered nor coloured.

Ardnahoe was Islay's ninth distillery when the first spirit ran from the stills in October 2018 - the culmination of over 50 years in the whisky trade for Stewart Laing. The distillery runs Islay's only worm tub condensers alongside Scotland's longest lyne arms at 7.5 metres, giving the spirit weight and a creamy texture under the smoke from an early age.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Peated smoke arrives first, followed by sea salt air and a dark, rich cocoa note.

Palate

The smoke deepens into an earthy, glowing intensity, joined by citrus from the sherry cask, honeyed malt and stewed plums.

Finish

Long and dry, with ash from burnt-out peat embers, cracked black pepper and a touch of salted caramel.

Specifications

Name: Ardnahoe Chairman's Selection
Distillery: Ardnahoe
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 6 Years
ABV: 60.2%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Sherry and Bourbon Casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Worm tub condensing (Islay's only) with 7.5-metre lyne arms
Edition: Chairman's Selection
EAN No.: 5060354290002

Distillery: Ardnahoe

Flavour Profile

Peated · Smoky · Sherry-matured · Complex · Spiced

Investment Potential

High. This is the final whisky Stewart Laing composed before his death, and only a strictly limited number of bottles have come to Denmark. The story and the personal signature make this a bottle collectors will hold onto - and prices on the international market have already climbed sharply since launch.

Did You Know?

Only 120 bottles of Chairman's Selection have been allocated to the Danish market - a fraction of an already tightly limited release.

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Loch Ardnahoe is the deepest loch on Islay. The water looks as though it carries on downwards without end, which is why the distillery calls the loch infinite. The water in this bottle comes straight from it.

The Expert's Description

Ardnahoe Infinite Loch is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a combination of 1st fill bourbon casks and Oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 50%. It is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

The two cask types each do their own job. The bourbon casks give vanilla, fruit and a bright sweetness, while the Oloroso casks lay in darker fruit and spice. Together with Ardnahoe’s peat smoke that produces a classic Islay profile with more breadth than a purely bourbon matured whisky would have.

The water comes from Loch Ardnahoe right beside the distillery, and the loch is one of the main reasons the site was chosen: plentiful clean, soft water with a natural peat character from the surrounding landscape.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sea spray and peat first, which take the mind straight to Islay’s rugged coast. Beneath sit subtle undertones of dark chocolate adding depth and a light sweetness.

Palate

Opens fresh and lively, where fruity notes meet a touch of menthol in an interesting contrast to the smoky elements. As it develops, bonfire notes become clear and strengthen towards the close. At 50% there is good body and concentration.

Finish

Long and intense, saturated with smoke and a discreet hint of citrus.

Specifications

Name: Ardnahoe Infinite Loch Single Islay Malt Whisky 50%
Distillery: Ardnahoe
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon casks and Oloroso sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Infinite Loch
EAN no.: 5060354287484

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Maritime · Fruity · Dark Chocolate · Fresh · Spiced

Did You Know?

Ardnahoe was built as Islay’s ninth distillery by Hunter Laing, a bottling house that had sold other people’s whisky for decades before getting a distillery of its own. The Laing family first learned to judge casks from all across Scotland, and then used that experience to decide how their own spirit should be made.

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Danish retailers got to decide. Ardnahoe took their young, oily Islay spirit and moved it into small Pedro Ximénez quarter casks, the sweetest sherry in the smallest cask. At 60.6% there is no caution left anywhere.

The Expert's Description

Ardnahoe Small Batch for Danish Retailers 2026 is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky finished in small Pedro Ximénez quarter casks and bottled at 60.6% cask strength. It was distilled in June 2019 and bottled in February 2026, giving six years.

The release shows Ardnahoe’s signature plainly: slow distillation, high cut points and the iconic worm tubs, which give a fuller and oilier spirit than a modern condenser would. After the primary maturation the whisky was moved into quarter casks, small casks of around 125 litres where wood contact per litre is far greater.

PX is the sweetest of the sherry styles, and in a small cask it works fast. The result is a marked layer of dark fruit, syrup and spiced depth over Islay’s maritime peat smoke.

Tasting Notes

Nose

An intense combination of peat smoke, sea spray and sweet PX notes. Dried fruit, raisins and dark caramel sit as a warm layer over the fresh smoke, while a saline minerality recalls the coastline. Both youthful energy and a surprising maturity.

Palate

Powerful and full, carried by the high strength. The oily texture from the worm tubs gives a marked mouthfeel where smoke, dark chocolate, raisins, spices and a deep syrupy sweetness melt together. The PX casks add a rich, dessert-like character in fine contrast to the smoke.

Finish

Long, warm and lingering. The smoke holds on together with dark fruit, oak and a lightly bittersweet note.

Specifications

Name: Ardnahoe Small Batch for Danish Retailers 2026 PX Quarter Cask Single Islay Malt Whisky 60.6%
Distillery: Ardnahoe
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 6 years
ABV: 60.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in Pedro Ximénez quarter casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Slow distillation with worm tubs
Distilled: June 2019
Bottled: February 2026
Edition: Small Batch for Danish Retailers 2026

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Sherry Matured · Sweet · Maritime · Cask Strength · Dark Fruit

Investment Potential

Medium. A small batch made for one market and bottled at cask strength exists only in the outturn the casks gave. Releases from Ardnahoe’s early years have also drawn steadily more attention as the distillery has established itself.

Did You Know?

A quarter cask holds around 125 litres and therefore has far more wood contact per litre of liquid than a standard cask. In the nineteenth century the size was practical, because casks could be carried on horseback along paths a cart could not reach. Today they are used precisely for that rapid cask influence.

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