Ardnahoe 5 Year Old Batch #2 Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Ardnahoe Distillery was established in 2016 near Port Askaig in the rugged northeast corner of Islay. It was the youngest distillery on the island, at least until Port Ellen revived its operations in 2024. Owners, Hunter Laing, a family-run independent bottler, managed to entice famed x-Bruichladdich Master Distiller, Jim McEwan out of retirement to help get things up and running. The first single malt came off Ardnahoe’s lantern-shaped stills in 2018, and while they could have bottled an inaugural release earlier than they did, they decided to wait until the whisky was just right. Considering the creative forces behind the operation, it's no wonder the results have impressed from the outset. Batch #2 comes straight out of x-bourbon barrels. 61% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

Other reviews... Colour: white wine. Nose: very fine but dominated by the purity of the previous Swiss one, which did not bother with quite so much vanilla, if you see what we mean. With water: the pure peat comes out more, yet it still lacks a bit the superb nerviness and irresistibility of the previous one. Mouth (neat): the sweetness of the bourbon, the vanilla, the mango and the banana for instance, coat this little beast, despite it remaining taut as a bow and as salty as the waters of the Sound of Islay. In truth, on the palate it is excellent, the gap is far less marked on the palate. With water: yes, it is good, it is very good, it becomes more rooty. Finish: long, fresher, purer, freed from its coating. Green apple. Comments: it will have made up almost all of its delay on the ‘Swiss’ one on the palate, in the manner of an Alpine stage of the Tour de France. But the Swiss still keeps the yellow jersey for now. 87 points - whiskyfun.com

[Inaugural release tasted] Seaweed, rock pools, and bold peat smoke are balanced with honey, orchard fruits, vanilla biscuits, and floral top notes. An incredible explosion of flavor with marmalade, heather honey, chopped peel, dark fruit, sooty smoke, sherry trifle, and cinnamon sugar. It’s well-rounded without seeming youthful, showing baking chocolate and a greater smoke presence rolling into the finish atop waves of sherry fruit. Quite a debut! 94 points - whiskyadvocate.com