The bottle did not say whisky, and that was deliberate. Scottish law requires three years in cask before the word can be used, and Ardnamurchan had not got there yet. So they called it Spirit and sent it out anyway, so people could follow the distillery from the very beginning.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan 2017 AD2 Spirit is a Highland Single Malt Spirit from Ardnamurchan Distillery, bottled at 53.6% by Adelphi. It is the distillery’s second annual release of young spirit and may not be called whisky, because it has not spent the three years in cask that Scottish law requires.

Ardnamurchan was built by the independent bottler Adelphi on the remote Ardnamurchan peninsula on Scotland’s west coast. There had never been a legal distillery on the peninsula before the site opened in 2014. The distillery makes two styles, one peated and one unpeated, matured in American and Spanish oak.

The run of Spirit releases spans 2016 to 2019, and AD2 is the second in the sequence. The distillery’s first proper Single Malt Whisky arrived in September 2020. The spirit is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Young and direct. Fresh malted barley first, then pear, green apple and a clear cereal sweetness. A light peat smoke sits beneath it all along with a clean, almost bready note you only meet in spirit that has not had time to be rounded off.

Palate

Powerful and raw in the good sense. Malt and grain fill the middle of the mouth, while the cask’s vanilla has only just begun to report in. There is a peated undercurrent and a peppery warmth, and at 53.6% the texture is oily and full.

Finish

Medium and dry. Grain, malt and a lightly smoky edge that lets go sooner than an older whisky would.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan 2017 AD2 Spirit Adelphi 53.6%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Spirit
ABV: 53.6%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2017
Edition: AD2 Spirit
EAN no.: 5060386504023

Flavour Profile

Young · Malty · Fruity · Lightly Smoky · Cask Strength · Grain Forward

Investment Potential

Medium. The Spirit releases were made during a short window before the distillery could call its spirit whisky, and they will never come again. For anyone collecting a distillery’s history from the first bottle, AD2 is a link in a sequence that cannot be recreated.

Did You Know?

Ardnamurchan draws all its electricity from a hydro generator on the river beside the distillery. The location is so remote that producing its own power was easier than running a supply network out there. The environmental case was there too, but the practicality came first.

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Third year in the sequence, and now sherry casks only. Ardnamurchan put all of AD3 into hogsheads and butts from Spain, and the difference from the year before is obvious before you have tasted anything: the colour alone tells you what the wood has done.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan 2018 AD3 Spirit is a Highland Single Malt Spirit matured in sherry casks in the form of hogsheads and butts and bottled at 55.3% by Adelphi. Approximately 5,000 bottles were made. The designation Spirit is because it has not spent the three years in cask that Scottish law requires before the word whisky may be used.

The two cask sizes do different things. A hogshead holds around 250 litres and works relatively fast, while a butt of around 500 litres moves more slowly and gives a more measured sherry character. Using both gives you speed and depth in the same release.

Ardnamurchan makes both peated and unpeated malt, and both styles feature in the house’s releases. The spirit is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and dried fig first, clearly sherried for something this young. Beneath sit fresh malt and a light peat smoke, along with a nutty note the butts have laid in.

Palate

Sweeter and rounder than you would expect from anything under three years. Dark fruit and spice open, then the cereal character comes through along with a peated undercurrent. At 55.3% the concentration is good, and the sherry carries the youth well.

Finish

Medium length. Raisins, malt and a lightly smoky dryness that lets go cleanly.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan 2018 AD3 Spirit Adelphi 55.3%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Spirit
ABV: 55.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks, hogsheads and butts
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2018
Number of bottles: Approximately 5,000
Edition: AD3 Spirit
EAN no.: 5060383650426

Flavour Profile

Sherry Matured · Young · Dark Fruit · Nutty · Lightly Smoky · Cask Strength

Did You Know?

The Ardnamurchan peninsula is so remote that the road out there is single track along much of its length. The distillery sits at Glenbeg overlooking Glenmore Bay towards the island of Mull, and it is one of the remotest distilleries in Scotland. Seven years of work went from the idea to the finished distillery.

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The last chapter before the whisky. AD4 is the fourth and final Spirit release from Ardnamurchan, and the following year the distillery could finally write whisky on the label. Octaves are in play here too, the smallest casks in the house.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan 2019 AD4 Spirit is a Highland Single Malt Spirit matured in sherry casks in the form of hogsheads, butts and octaves and bottled at 57.4% by Adelphi. Approximately 5,100 bottles were made. It is legally a Spirit because it has not spent the three years in cask that Scottish law requires.

Octaves are the addition compared with the year before. An octave holds around 50 litres, the smallest cask in common use, and with so little liquid per square centimetre of wood it works very fast. It is an efficient way to give young spirit more cask character than the years alone would allow.

AD4 is the last in the run of Spirit releases that spanned 2016 to 2019. In September 2020 the distillery’s first proper Single Malt Whisky arrived. The spirit is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark fruit and syrup first, more concentrated than the preceding years. There are raisins, dates and a clear spiced sherry note, and beneath sit fresh malt and a light peat smoke.

Palate

Full and sweet, almost dessert-like in the middle. Dark fruit, spice and burnt sugar open, then the cereal character and the smoke come through. At 57.4% the concentration is marked, and the small casks make themselves felt in the texture.

Finish

Medium to long. Spice, dark fruit and a dry, lightly smoky close.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan 2019 AD4 Spirit Adelphi 57.4%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Spirit
ABV: 57.4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks, hogsheads, butts and octaves
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2019
Number of bottles: Approximately 5,100
Edition: AD4 Spirit
EAN no.: 5060383650730

Flavour Profile

Sherry Matured · Sweet · Spiced · Young · Cask Strength · Dark Fruit

Did You Know?

An octave holds around 50 litres and is the smallest cask used in ordinary whisky production. The name comes from it being roughly an eighth of a butt. Because the ratio of liquid to wood is so extreme, an octave can deliver in a few months what a butt takes years to give.

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Nine years is a long time for a distillery that only fired up the stills in 2014. This is among the oldest single casks the house has let out: peated spirit in a first fill PX cask, bottled for a Danish importer’s twenty-fifth anniversary.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan 9 Years Old Single Cask No. 325 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a peated 1st fill ex-PX Sherry Hogshead and bottled at 57.8% cask strength. The cask gave 330 bottles, filled to mark FC Whisky’s 25th anniversary.

A first fill PX cask is among the most active you can give a whisky. Pedro Ximénez is the sweetest sherry style, and in a hogshead of around 250 litres it works fast and directly. Meeting peated spirit, the result is a clear contrast rather than a blend: sweetness and smoke stand beside each other the whole way.

Ardnamurchan was built by Adelphi on the peninsula of the same name on Scotland’s west coast and has been producing since 2014. The distillery makes both peated and unpeated malt, and this comes from the peated side of the house.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Smoky notes of charred wood and a trace of ash leaves first, immediately balanced by sweeter aromas of dried fruit, dark chocolate and spiced sherry.

Palate

Full and complex: smoke, dried raisins, figs and a touch of caramelised sugar. The sherry maturation adds a subtle sweetness of spice and oak, while the light smoke gives the whisky its characteristic depth. At 57.8% it carries well.

Finish

Long, with warm notes of spice and a light dryness that underlines the complexity.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan 9 Years Old Single Cask No. 325 Single Highland Malt Whisky 57.8%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 57.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Peated 1st fill ex-PX Sherry Hogshead, cask no. 325
Number of bottles: 330
Edition: Single Cask No. 325
EAN no.: 5060383654363

Flavour Profile

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

Investment Potential

Medium. Nine years is among the oldest Ardnamurchan has released as a single cask, and there are 330 bottles from a cask chosen for a particular occasion. Early vintages from the distillery are already hard to find.

Did You Know?

Ardnamurchan runs its peated and unpeated production in separate periods of the year, and the casks are marked accordingly. Cask 325 is marked peated, so it is possible to know in advance which side of the house a single cask release comes from, something very few distilleries state so plainly.

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Second batch, same recipe. 65% bourbon casks, 35% sherry casks, half peated and half unpeated malt. Ardnamurchan found the ratio they wanted and repeated it, which is harder than it sounds when the casks are not the same from one year to the next.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan AD 01.21:01 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky composed of 65% ex-bourbon casks and 35% sherry casks and bottled at 46.8%. This second batch ran to 14,676 bottles.

The malt is split evenly between peated and unpeated. That is the distillery’s founding choice: rather than making two separate whiskies they bring both styles together in the same bottle, so the smoke works as a floor rather than the main event. The split between bourbon and sherry meanwhile gives both vanilla and dark fruit.

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

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla and bright fruit first from the bourbon casks, then raisins and orange from the sherry portion. Beneath sits a dry peat smoke, clear without taking over, and a fresh malt note.

Palate

Soft and balanced. Baked apple, honey and vanilla open, then the sherry’s dark fruit and a lightly spiced warmth arrive. The smoke sits underneath and grows clearer towards the close. At 46.8% the body is good without being heavy.

Finish

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

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan AD 01.21:01 Highland Single Malt Scotch 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
Number of bottles: 14,676
Edition: AD 01.21:01 Batch 02
EAN no.: 5060383651324

Flavour Profile

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

Did You Know?

Every bottle from Ardnamurchan carries a QR code giving access to production data registered on a blockchain: which malt, which casks, which dates. It is an unusual degree of openness in a trade where many distilleries would rather not state more than the age on the label.

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Six and a half years passed between firing up the stills and anyone daring to write whisky on the label. Ardnamurchan was busy finding the right ratio between bourbon and sherry, and in September 2020 they were done. This is bottle number one in the distillery’s history.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan AD 09.20:01 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky composed of 65% ex-bourbon casks and 35% sherry casks and bottled at 46.8% in September 2020. It is the distillery’s first official Single Malt Whisky, and 15,950 bottles were made.

The malt is split evenly between peated and unpeated, the choice that has since become the house signature. The smoke works as a floor rather than the main event, and the split between bourbon and sherry gives vanilla, bright fruit and dark sherry fruit in the same glass.

The distillery was built by the independent bottler Adelphi at Glenbeg on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, looking out over Glenmore Bay towards the island of Mull. Seven years of work went from the idea to the finished distillery, and the doors opened in July 2014. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

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 being dominant.

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 everything up towards the close. At 46.8% the body is good, and the whisky reads more finished than six and a half years would suggest.

Finish

Medium to long. Malt, dark fruit and a dry smoky edge that lingers neatly.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan AD 09.20:01 Highland Single Malt Scotch 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
Bottled: September 2020
Number of bottles: 15,950
Edition: AD 09.20:01 Batch 01
EAN no.: 5060383651256

Flavour Profile

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

Investment Potential

High. This is the first official Single Malt Whisky a distillery ever released, and 15,950 bottles exist and never any more. First releases from distilleries that go on to succeed are among the most sought after bottles on the secondary market.

Did You Know?

There is no age statement on the bottle, but the arithmetic is easy: the distillery began distilling in July 2014, and the whisky was bottled in September 2020. That gives around six years and two months for the youngest content. The distillery chose to state the dates rather than a number, which says more precisely what you are holding.

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September 2015, the distillery’s second year of operation. Cask 588 was filled with peated spirit and stood untouched for almost a decade before being emptied for one Danish importer. Two hundred and forty-eight bottles, and among the very first single casks Ardnamurchan released to a single customer.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan AD 09:15 Cask 588 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a peated 1st fill American ex-bourbon barrel and bottled at 59.8% cask strength. The cask was filled in September 2015 and emptied in 2024, giving 248 bottles released exclusively for FC Whisky.

A first fill American ex-bourbon barrel is active: it gives vanilla, coconut and a clear sweetness that normally settles over a spirit. Here it meets peated spirit, and the result is a whisky where the sweetness and the smoke share the space rather than fighting for it.

Ardnamurchan began distilling in July 2014, so a cask from September 2015 comes from the distillery’s earliest years. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Peat smoke first, with vanilla and coconut right behind from the American wood. Salt and white pepper sit underneath, along with a clear maritime character that the peninsula’s seaside setting provides.

Palate

Peated and direct. Vanilla, salt and white pepper open, then the smoke arrives at full weight along with a dry oak note. The texture is oily, and at 59.8% there is plenty of concentration. Maritime in both nose and palate.

Finish

Long and dry. Smoke, salt and pepper, with a final vanilla sweetness beneath it all.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan AD 09:15 Cask 588 FC Whisky Single Highland Malt Whisky 59.8%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 59.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Peated 1st fill American ex-bourbon barrel, cask no. 588
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: September 2015
Bottled: 2024
Number of bottles: 248
Edition: Single Cask 588 for FC Whisky

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Maritime · Vanilla · Spiced · Cask Strength · Saline

Investment Potential

Medium. The cask is among the very first single casks from Ardnamurchan released exclusively to one importer, and only 248 bottles exist. Casks from the distillery’s first years are already few, and there will be no more.

Did You Know?

Ardnamurchan sits by the sea on a peninsula that reaches furthest west on the Scottish mainland. The warehouses stand so close to the water that the salt air draws into the casks during maturation. That is why even the bourbon matured releases often carry a maritime note you will not find in whisky from inland.

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December 2014, five months after the distillery opened. Cask 440 is a Spanish Oloroso butt filled with unpeated spirit, and it is among the earliest casks in existence from Ardnamurchan. Six hundred and ninety-three bottles, released to one Danish importer.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan AD 12:14 CK.440 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in an unpeated Oloroso Sherry Butt of Spanish oak and bottled at 59.1% cask strength. The cask was filled in December 2014 and gave 693 bottles released exclusively for FC Whisky.

This is the unpeated side of the distillery. With no smoke to contend with, the Oloroso cask can work directly on the spirit’s fruitiness, and a full butt of around 500 litres works slowly and in measured fashion. The result is a sherry profile where dark fruit and nuts get room without being forced.

The cask was filled five months after the distillery opened in July 2014, which makes it one of the very earliest casks in the house. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and dark orange first, with walnut and a dry sherry note behind. Beneath sit fresh malt and a lightly waxy fruitiness that is Ardnamurchan’s unpeated signature.

Palate

Full and dark. Dried fruit, walnut and bitter chocolate open, then spice and an oak tannin tighten things mid-palate. At 59.1% the concentration is considerable, and a fresh acidity beneath the sherry keeps it from turning heavy.

Finish

Long and spiced. Raisin, nut and dry oak, with a warmth that lingers.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan AD 12:14 CK.440 FC Whisky Single Highland Malt Whisky 59.1%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 59.1%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Unpeated Oloroso Sherry Butt of Spanish oak, cask no. 440
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: December 2014
Number of bottles: 693
Edition: Single Cask CK.440 for FC Whisky
EAN no.: 5060383651652

Flavour Profile

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

Investment Potential

Medium. The cask dates from the distillery’s first six months, and 693 bottles exist, released through one channel. Casks filled in 2014 are the oldest in existence from Ardnamurchan, and there will be no more.

Did You Know?

Ardnamurchan keeps its peated and unpeated production separate in different periods of the year, and the casks are marked accordingly. CK.440 is marked unpeated, so you know in advance there is no smoke in the bottle, a clarity very few distilleries offer on single casks.

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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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Forty casks peated, ten casks unpeated. That is not an approximation but an arithmetic, and it is exactly the sort of figure Ardnamurchan is willing to state where most distilleries settle for saying blended.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan Cask Strength AD 02.22 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 58.7% full cask strength by Adelphi. It was composed from forty peated bourbon barrels and ten unpeated casks, and 12,886 bottles were made.

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 02.22 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 58.7%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 58.7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Forty peated bourbon barrels and ten unpeated casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Number of bottles: 12,886
Edition: Cask Strength AD 02.22
EAN no.: 5060383652215

Flavour Profile

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

Did You Know?

The ratio of forty to ten is one quarter unpeated malt. That is a smaller share than in the house AD expression, where the split is even, which is why the smoke stands out more clearly in the Cask Strength series. The figures appear on the bottle, which is rare in the trade.

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Second release in the series, and this time with sherry casks in the mix. Where the February release was pure bourbon, there is now darker fruit beneath the smoke: same spirit, different wood, clearly different result.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan Cask Strength AD 09.22 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 58.4% full cask strength by Adelphi. It was composed from a mix of bourbon and sherry casks and is the second release in the distillery’s Cask Strength series.

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 09.22 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 58.4%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 58.4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Mix of bourbon and sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Cask Strength AD 09.22
EAN no.: 5060383652529

Flavour Profile

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

Did You Know?

Ardnamurchan releases Cask Strength twice a year, in February and September, and the code on the bottle tells you which. AD 09.22 means September 2022. The system makes it possible to follow how the distillery develops from one half-year to the next, something that otherwise requires keeping your own records.

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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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Madeira is the only wine in the world that improves by being heated. The wine matures at around fifty degrees for months on end, and the casks carry that treatment with them: a cooked, nutty sweetness you will not find in other wine casks.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan Madeira Cask Release AD is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky finished in madeira casks and bottled at 52%. It combines the distillery’s craft approach and sustainable production with the distinctive influence of the madeira wood.

Madeira differs from other fortified wines in undergoing a heat treatment during maturation, where the wine is held warm for a long period. That gives a caramelised, nutty character not found in sherry or port, and the casks carry it on to the whisky.

At 52% there is body enough to carry both the madeira sweetness and Ardnamurchan’s own maritime character. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe stone fruit, candied orange peel and honey open the nose, joined by a light touch of sea breeze and spice. A nutty, almost caramelised note sits beneath it all, the fingerprint of the madeira cask.

Palate

Roasted nuts, dark caramel and dried fruit melting together with a light mineral character and a hint of smoke in the background. At 52% the texture is full, and the sweetness is dry rather than syrupy.

Finish

Long, warm and silky with an elegant sweetness from the madeira casks and a final dry nutty note.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan Madeira Cask Release AD Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 52%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 52%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in madeira casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Madeira Cask Release AD
EAN no.: 5060383654325

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Nutty · Caramel · Spiced · Maritime · Lightly Smoky

Did You Know?

Madeira is matured by heat because the wine was historically carried as ballast in ships crossing the tropics. It was discovered that the wine improved on the journey, from the heat and the movement. Today the effect is reproduced artificially, but the cooked, nutty character still comes from something that began as an accident at sea.

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Mezcal and peated whisky have more in common than you might think. Both get their smoke from something that has lain in the ground and burned: agave hearts in a stone-lined pit in Oaxaca, peat under a malting floor in Scotland. Here they meet in the same cask.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan Mezcal Cask Release AD is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky first matured in traditional bourbon and sherry casks and then finished in used mezcal casks from Mexico, bottled at 55%.

Mezcal is known for its smoky, earthy character, which comes from agave hearts roasted in earth pits over embers. The casks add a depth and complexity distinct from classic Scottish malt whiskies, a mineral structure not found in wine casks.

The release is part of the distillery’s continuing work with unconventional cask types. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet malt and a lightly medicinal peat smoke open, quickly followed by characteristic mezcal notes: green agave, citrus, white pepper and toasted oak. It is all rounded off by a subtle spiced undertone.

Palate

Green apples and fresh lime meet a finely balanced peat smoke and a lightly saline character. Warm notes of vanilla, honey and a touch of cinnamon and clove sit in the middle. The texture is full, and the minerality from the mezcal casks gives structure without drowning the fruity base.

Finish

Long and mineral. Smoke, citrus and a dry, almost stony close where the agave lingers longest.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan Mezcal 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 and sherry casks, finished in used mezcal casks from Mexico
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Mezcal Cask Release AD

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Mineral · Citrus · Spiced · Cask Strength · Fruity

Did You Know?

Mezcal is made by roasting agave hearts in a pit in the ground, covered with stones and glowing wood, for several days. That is where the smoke comes from, not from the cask or the distillation. The method resembles Scottish peat firing more than anything else in the spirits world, which is probably why the two work together.

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Four bottles, four cask stories, the same spirit. It is the easiest way to understand what a cask actually does to whisky, because everything else is held constant and only the wood changes.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan AD Miniature 2024 is a gift set of four Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskies in 5 cl format, bottled between 46.8% and 50%. The set gathers the distillery’s core expression and three cask variants, and all four are neither chill filtered nor coloured.

The first bottle is AD/, the house standard with 65% bourbon casks and 35% sherry casks. The second is the sherry cask expression, the third the rum cask, and the fourth a single cask Sauternes. Between them they cover the whole span from dry bourbon wood to sweet wine cask.

Ardnamurchan sits at Glenbeg on the westernmost mainland peninsula in Scotland and has been distilling since July 2014. The distillery makes both peated and unpeated malt, and both styles go into the releases.

Tasting Notes

Nose

AD/ opens with orchard fruit, beach pebbles and eucalyptus. The sherry cask gives Murray mint and smoked bacon. The rum cask brings salted cashews and vanilla extract, and the Sauternes offers nectarines and sweet pastry.

Palate

A common thread runs across all four: tobacco leaves, salt water and a touch of marzipan from the spirit itself. On top sit the contributions of the wood, sticky spare ribs from the sherry, coastal breeze from the rum and rich wax from the Sauternes cask.

Finish

Different from bottle to bottle, but over the same saline maritime floor. That shared denominator is exactly what the set makes it possible to hear.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan AD Miniature 2024 Gift Set Single Malt Whisky 4x5 cl
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46.8-50%
Size: 4x5 CL
Cask type: Bourbon, sherry, rum and Sauternes
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Miniature Set 2024

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Maritime · Smoky · Sweet · Spiced · Waxy

Did You Know?

Ardnamurchan sits so far west that the distillery is closer to Northern Ireland than to Edinburgh as the crow flies. The peninsula is the westernmost part of the Scottish mainland, and the warehouses stand a few hundred metres from the water in Glenmore Bay, looking out towards the island of Mull.

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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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Sauternes casks are expensive and rare because the wine itself is. The châteaux in Bordeaux need their barriques and do not readily sell them on. When one nonetheless ends up on a west Scottish peninsula, it is worth noticing.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan Sauternes Cask is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky first matured in bourbon casks and then finished in selected Sauternes wine casks, bottled at 50% in 2024.

Sauternes is the sweetest of the white wines of Bordeaux, made from grapes affected by noble rot. The casks add a subtle sweetness and a complexity that settles over the classic Highland malt profile without drowning it: honey, dried fruit and a lightly spiced close.

The natural colour and unfiltered character preserve the whisky’s authentic flavour, and at 50% there is body enough to carry both the wine cask sweetness and Ardnamurchan’s own maritime edge.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Nectarines and sweet pastry first, with honey and candied citrus peel behind. A rich waxiness sits beneath it all, and a light peat smoke and saline maritime note push through.

Palate

Rich notes of honey and dried fruit open, then a lightly spiced warmth and a dry oak note arrive. The sweetness is balanced rather than dominant, and at 50% the texture is full and nuanced the whole way.

Finish

Medium to long. Honey, spice and a dry close where the maritime salinity lingers beneath the sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan Sauternes Cask Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 50%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks, finished in Sauternes wine casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 2024
Edition: Sauternes Cask
EAN no.: 5060383653946

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Honeyed · Sweet · Spiced · Maritime · Waxy

Did You Know?

In Sauternes the harvest is among the most labour-intensive in the wine world. The grapes are picked berry by berry over several passes as the noble rot spreads unevenly through the vineyard. Some estates reckon on a single glass of wine per vine. That is why the casks rarely leave Bordeaux.

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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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Ten years is where many whisky drinkers first really meet Arran — an age-appropriate, easy-to-grasp introduction to the distillery's style.

A combination of mostly bourbon and a smaller sherry component that shows the breadth of Arran's character.

Expert Description

Arran 10 Year Old is a Single Islands Malt Whisky matured mostly in American bourbon casks with a smaller share of sherry casks, bottled at 46%.

Around 60% of the whisky comes from bourbon casks, with the rest sherry-matured, giving a balance between bright fruitiness and a deeper sweetness. The classic citrus tone Arran is known for comes through clearly across both cask types.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet vanilla, banana, melon and cocoa.

Palate

More complex aromas with a deep character that never covers up the classic citrus tone.

Finish

Medium length and soft with lingering citrus and a light sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Arran 10 Year Old
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Single Islands Malt Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Mostly bourbon casks, smaller share of sherry casks
EAN no.: 5060044480638
Serving suggestion: In a Glencairn glass at room temperature

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Citrus-forward · Sweet · Creamy

Did You Know?

Arran 10 Year Old is often considered the distillery's clearest calling card — it combines nearly all of Arran's hallmarks in one easy-drinking bottle.

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Adelphi typically tastes 25 casks to find one good enough for their name. This is the one — a 20-year-old Arran, selected by two of the whisky trade's most respected figures.

Bottled at full cask strength to mark the independent bottler FC Whisky's 20th anniversary.

Expert Description

Arran 1999/2020 Adelphi Selection 20 Year Old FC Whisky is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in cask number 465 and bottled at 52.5%.

The whisky was distilled on 31 December 1999 and bottled on 7 January 2020 by the independent whisky merchant Adelphi Selection, whose manager Alex Bruce and whisky writer Charles MacLean together approve fewer than 4% of the casks they taste. This bottle marks FC Whisky's 20th anniversary, and with only 175 bottles from a single cask, it's a rare chance to taste Arran through one of Scotland's most discerning independent bottlers.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe fruit and honey, with a depth that only comes from two decades of maturation.

Palate

Rich and layered, where Arran's classic citrus character meets a warm, spiced structure from the cask.

Finish

Long and dry with a final trace of oak and spice.

Specifications

Name: Arran 1999/2020 Adelphi Selection 20 Year Old FC Whisky
Distillery: Arran
Bottler: Adelphi Selection
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 20 years
ABV: 52.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Cask No. 465
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 31.12.1999
Bottled: 07.01.2020
Number of bottles: 175
Edition: Arran Millennium Malt 20th Anniversary Bottling FC Whisky
Serving suggestion: In a Glencairn glass at room temperature

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Spiced · Oak-driven · Complex

Investment Potential

Medium – a 20-year-old Adelphi bottling from a single cask with only 175 bottles typically draws interest from collectors who follow independent bottlers.

Did You Know?

Adelphi was founded in 1826 on the banks of the Clyde near Glasgow, closed in the early 1900s, and was revived in 1993 when a grandson of a former owner relaunched the firm as an independent bottler.

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Fifteen years in a single Oloroso cask has given this Arran a depth that speaks directly to collectors and sherry lovers.

A cask strength expression, bottled without compromise from cask number 979.

Expert Description

Arran 2008/2024 15 Year Old Premium Oloroso Cask #979 is a Single Islands Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a 1st fill Oloroso hogshead and bottled at 55.4%.

The whisky was distilled at the Lochranza distillery on the Isle of Arran on 15 October 2008 and matured for 15 years in cask number 979, before being bottled on 31 July 2024 at full cask strength. Only 296 bottles exist from this single cask, selected especially for the Danish market.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Light chocolate, toffee and honey with an elegant sherry imprint.

Palate

Rich and rounded with sweet notes of caramel, dried fruit and spice.

Finish

Long, warm and silky with a trace of oak and the sherry's depth.

Specifications

Name: Arran 2008/2024 15 Year Old Premium Oloroso Cask #979
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Single Islands Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 55.4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill Oloroso hogshead
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 15.10.2008
Bottled: 31.07.2024
Number of bottles: 296
Edition: Single Cask – Cask No. 979
Serving suggestion: In a Glencairn glass at room temperature

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Sweet · Spiced · Smooth

Did You Know?

Cask number 979 is one of the single casks Arran rarely releases on its own — most Oloroso casks from the same vintage are typically blended with others before reaching the bottle.

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Twenty-five years is the oldest age the Arran distillery has put on a bottle — a testament to how far the distillery has come since its first year in 1995.

A limited number have reached Denmark of this mature, deeply complex release.

Expert Description

Arran 25 Year Old is a Single Islands Malt Whisky matured in a mix of used bourbon and sherry casks, bottled at 46%.

As the distillery's oldest release, this bottle represents a quarter century of patience. The two cask types work together, giving a fullness and complexity that only truly shows after this many years in the warehouse.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fruit cake with toasted almond and honey notes.

Palate

Complex with black pepper and many nuances of ripe fruit and spice.

Finish

Long and warming with lingering spice.

Specifications

Name: Arran 25 Year Old
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Single Islands Malt Whisky
Age: 25 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Mix of used bourbon and sherry casks
EAN no.: 5060044484001
Serving suggestion: In a Glencairn glass at room temperature

Flavour Profile

Mature · Spiced · Nutty · Complex

Investment Potential

Medium – as the distillery's oldest permanent release, with a limited number of bottles reaching Denmark, it typically draws interest from collectors wanting to cover the full Arran age range.

Did You Know?

When this whisky was distilled, the Arran distillery was still brand new — making this bottle one of the earliest proofs of how well Lochranza's whisky can develop over time.

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Wine casks aren't a one-off at Arran — they're a whole series. This edition is finished in Amarone casks, and it shows clearly already in the colour.

A delicate whisky where the Italian red wine truly comes into play.

Expert Description

Arran Amarone Cask Finish is a Single Islands Malt Whisky finished in Amarone wine casks and bottled at 50%.

The whisky is part of Arran's series of releases finished in used wine casks, where powerful Amarone casks from northern Italy add a deep, almost voluminous character on top of the distillery's well-known citrus note.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Spiced notes of vanilla, citrus, nuts and dried fruit.

Palate

Complex notes of cinnamon, baked apple and plum and raisin, with a deep, voluminous character.

Finish

Medium length with Arran's citrus note still holding its own under the wine cask's power.

Specifications

Name: Arran Amarone Cask Finish
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Single Islands Malt Whisky
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in Amarone wine casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5060044481901
Serving suggestion: In a Glencairn glass at room temperature

Flavour Profile

Wine-toned · Spiced · Fruity · Full-bodied

Did You Know?

Amarone is one of Italy's most powerful red wines, made from partially dried grapes from the Veneto region — the process gives the wine, and later the whisky, an unusual concentration.

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Sometimes it's the simple bottles that show best what a distillery can do. Barrel Reserve is Arran's everyday dram — now in a new design with a light blue neck seal.

Matured exclusively in American oak casks, and a natural place to start if you want to get to know Arran's style.

Expert Description

Arran Barrel Reserve is a Single Islands Malt Scotch Whisky matured exclusively in American oak casks and bottled at 43%.

This is the distillery's accessible core range, where Arran's signature citrus island character shines through even without an age statement or specific cask number. The whisky has been relaunched with a new light blue neck seal, though the recipe behind it is unchanged.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla, fresh pear and sweet honey, with the distillery's citrus note sitting just beneath the surface.

Palate

Delicate with a fine balance of citrus fruit, sweet vanilla, apple and a light coastal note.

Finish

Lingering with sweetness from the casks, spice and a trace of milk chocolate.

Specifications

Name: Arran Barrel Reserve
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Single Islands Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak casks
Non-chill filtered: No
EAN no.: 5060044483738
Serving suggestion: In a Glencairn glass, a good introduction to Arran's style

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Sweet · Creamy · Citrus-forward

Did You Know?

The light blue neck seal is part of a broader design refresh across Arran's whole bottle range, meant to make it easier to tell the different expressions apart on the shelf.

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A third way into Arran's world: the same Barrel Reserve, the same oak casks, the same light island character — just another packaging version of the distillery's most accessible bottle.

Whichever edition of Barrel Reserve lands on the shelf, the contents are always the same familiar, bright expression from Lochranza.

Expert Description

Arran Barrel Reserve is a Single Islands Malt Scotch Whisky matured exclusively in American oak casks and bottled at 43%.

The whisky is meant as a light, accessible entry into Arran's style, where the American oak casks give a soft sweetness while the distillery's well-known citrus character keeps the profile light and fresh. It's the same base recipe regardless of which packaging version the bottle carries.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla and fresh pear with a touch of honey.

Palate

Light and creamy with citrus fruit and apple upfront.

Finish

Short to medium with a gentle sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Arran Barrel Reserve
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Single Islands Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak casks
EAN no.: 5060044483738
Serving suggestion: In a Glencairn glass as a light everyday dram

Flavour Profile

Light · Fruity · Creamy · Citrus-forward

Did You Know?

Barrel Reserve has appeared in several packaging versions over the years, but the recipe behind the whisky is unchanged — only the bottle's look has had a few facelifts.

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Cream and whisky sounds like a shortcut, but it is not when the whisky is actually good. Arran makes its own single malt at Lochranza and uses that rather than anonymous spirit, and you can taste it.

The Expert's Description

Arran Gold is a cream liqueur made with Single Island Malt Whisky from Arran, bottled at 17%. It is therefore not whisky but a cream-based liqueur in which the distillery’s own malt whisky forms the spirit component.

The difference from an ordinary cream liqueur lies precisely there. Most use neutral spirit or an anonymous blend, while Arran uses malt whisky from its own distillery. That gives a cereal sweetness and a light malt character beneath the toffee and chocolate which would otherwise disappear.

Arran Gold was named World’s Best Whisky Liqueur at Whisky Magazine’s World Whisky Awards in 2007. The distillery sits at Lochranza at the northern end of the Isle of Arran and was founded in 1995.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toffee and milk chocolate first, with cocoa and a clear cream note. Beneath the sweetness sits a malty cereal note from the whisky, which makes the nose less one-dimensionally sweet than an ordinary cream liqueur.

Palate

Full and creamy. Caramel, chocolate and vanilla open, then the malt whisky comes through with a light cereal sweetness and a hint of oak. At 17% it is soft and easy to drink, but not thin.

Finish

Medium and creamy, with cocoa and a final malt note lingering after the sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Arran Gold Cream Liqueur with Single Island Malt Whisky 17%
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Cream Liqueur with Single Island Malt Whisky
ABV: 17%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Arran Gold
EAN no.: 5060044480270
Serving suggestion: Serve chilled with coffee or over ice as a welcome drink

Flavour Profile

Creamy · Toffee · Chocolate · Sweet · Malty · Soft

Did You Know?

The Arran distillery at Lochranza was founded in 1995 and was the first legal distillery on the island in over a century and a half. Arran otherwise had a long history of illicit distilling, since the island’s remote bays were well suited to keeping the excise at arm’s length. Today the family also runs a second distillery, Lagg, at the southern end of the island.

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Arran's peated side also comes with a fixed age statement — ten years in cask gives Machrie Moor an extra layer of flavour.

The same peaty character as the distillery's classic Machrie Moor, but now with time to round off the edges.

Expert Description

Arran Machrie Moor 10 Year Old is a Single Islands Malt Whisky made from lightly peated malt and bottled at 46%.

The whisky is bottled non-chill filtered and with natural colour after ten years of maturation, giving the peat smoke time to blend more smoothly with Arran's natural fruit sweetness than in the younger, no-age-statement Machrie Moor.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Softer smoke than the younger edition, with a clear underlying fruitiness.

Palate

Round and balanced, where the smoke and Arran's citrus character meet in good harmony.

Finish

Medium length with lingering, mild smoke.

Specifications

Name: Arran Machrie Moor 10 Year Old
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Single Islands Malt Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5060044484742
Serving suggestion: In a Glencairn glass, a drop of water is welcome

Flavour Profile

Peated · Fruity · Round · Citrus-forward

Did You Know?

Although Machrie Moor has existed as an expression since 2004, the age-stated 10-year-old is a more recent addition, letting whisky fans compare the younger and more mature peated side of Arran directly.

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On Arran's west coast lies a windswept peat moor called Machrie Moor. Legend says the warrior Fingal tied his dog to a stone here — and the distillery named its peated whisky after the place.

A different side of Arran, where the familiar citrus character meets peat smoke.

Expert Description

Arran Machrie Moor is a Single Islands Malt Scotch Whisky made from lightly peated malt and bottled at 56.2%.

Since 2004, Arran has distilled a small amount of malt peated to around 20 ppm every year — a medium smoke level that offers more than just bonfire and tar. Machrie Moor has become a permanent part of Arran's range, bottled at cask strength, non-chill filtered and with natural colour, put together by the distillery's manager James MacTaggart.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Peat smoke and ash meet an underlying sweetness and a lightly salted coastal aroma.

Palate

Smoky yet balanced, with Arran's classic citrus note shining through.

Finish

Medium length with lingering smoke and a dry, spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Arran Machrie Moor
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Single Islands Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 56.2%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5060044482793
Serving suggestion: In a Glencairn glass, a drop of water helps open the smoke

Flavour Profile

Peated · Coastal · Citrus-forward · Spiced

Did You Know?

The name Machrie Moor comes from a peat moor on Arran's west coast with Bronze Age stone circles, one of which has a carved hole said to be where the warrior Fingal tied his dog.

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Smaller casks mean more contact between whisky and wood — and The Bothy is Arran's proof of how fast that contact can leave its mark.

A full-bodied, oily whisky with an extra push from Quarter Cask maturation.

Expert Description

Arran Quarter Cask The Bothy is a Single Islands Malt Whisky matured in 1st fill bourbon casks and finished in Quarter Casks, bottled at 56.2%.

The whisky spends around eight years in 1st fill bourbon casks before moving to 100-litre Quarter Casks for about 18 months. The smaller casks give markedly more contact between whisky and wood than standard casks, speeding up maturation and delivering a more intense character in less time.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla sweetness and freshly ground pepper in a full-bodied, oily aroma.

Palate

Spiced and intense with the same rich, oily character the nose promises.

Finish

Powerful and warming, with the cask strength's clear kick.

Specifications

Name: Arran Quarter Cask The Bothy
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Single Islands Malt Whisky
ABV: 56.2%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon casks, finished in Quarter Casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5060044483790
Serving suggestion: In a Glencairn glass, a drop of water is welcome

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Full-bodied · Oily · Intense

Did You Know?

A Quarter Cask typically holds only around 100 litres, compared to a standard hogshead's 250 — the much larger surface area relative to volume is why maturation moves faster and hits harder.

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Where the single malt edition honours the poet alone, this blend takes it a step further, combining Arran's own malt with select drops from other Scottish distilleries.

A blended whisky created as a tribute to Scotland's greatest poet, Robert Burns.

Expert Description

Arran Robert Burns is a Blended Scotch Whisky built on a foundation of single malt from the Lochranza distillery, bottled at 40%.

Combined with a few specially selected whiskies from other distilleries, Arran creates a high-quality blend meant as a broad, accessible tribute to Robert Burns's legacy, rather than a single-distillery deep dive.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Light and inviting with a trace of sweetness.

Palate

Dry, light and soft with notes of sweet apple and liquorice.

Finish

A gentle trace of peat smoke in the background.

Specifications

Name: Arran Robert Burns
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5011311092269
Serving suggestion: In a standard whisky glass, ideally as a light everyday dram

Flavour Profile

Light · Soft · Fruity · Lightly smoky

Did You Know?

A blended whisky like this can contain malt and grain whisky from several different distilleries — giving the blender far more freedom to create a specific flavour profile than a single malt allows.

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