Origin: Isle of Islay (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 50%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Sherry Oloroso and ex-Bourbon
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Hunter Laing & Co.
Average price: € 75,00
Official website: ardnahoedistillery.com
Second core range bottling from the young Islay distillery, which was added to Infinite Loch in March 2025 and from which it differs in… well, using mostly ex-Oloroso sherry casks.
This reserve on maturation seems a little anachronistic, especially for an addition to the core range, but then again, it’s all about the taste, isn’t it?
The name comes from the caves near the distillery.
Tasting Notes
A nose with a maritime character in which the presence of former sherry casks is indeed more incisive than in the other bottlings. Brine and toasted juniper are intertwined with notes of red fruits (blueberries, blackberries), dry prunes, liquorice root, citrus (blood orange, grapefruit), toasted almonds, ginger, pink pepper and a soft, chimney-lit smoke. The tones soften over time, a background of custard and white fruit (apple, peach) emerges with vegetal hints (black tea, tobacco), the iodine part is sharper along the length. Balanced.
On the palate, the spices turn up the volume, including ginger, nutmeg, black pepper and aniseed, on a nice oiliness that still carries the dark, citrusy fruit tones with touches of black cherry and tamarind, supported by sweet liquorice, milk chocolate, coffee and roasted nuts. The peat becomes even more ashy, with the coastal component slipping into the background leaving a pleasant salty trail on the tongue. Herbaceous and fresh background.
Quite long and saline finish of dull embers, red fruits, nuts, spices, citrus.
After the (for me) unconvincing Infinite Loch, an expression that harkens back to the glories of the inaugural release, skilfully dosing the casks with a dram that is agile and pleasant without being banal.
Vote: 85/100