This whisky is the third permanent bottling to be introduced to the core single malt range of the family owned Islay distillery of Ardnahoe. The Ardnahoe 5 Years Old Cask Strength has been exclusively matured in American oak first-fill ex-bourbon barrels. It will join the Bholsa (ex-Oloroso sherry casks) and Infinite Loch (first-fill ex-bourbon and ex-sherry) expressions in the range.
Ardnahoe was founded by independent whisky bottlers Hunter Laing & Co. in 2017 and began production in August 2018. It was the first new distillery on Islay since Kilchoman was founded in 2005. Ardnahoe translates as ‘height of the hollow’ from Scots Gaelic and sits on the rugged north-eastern coast of Islay. It between Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila, and looks across the fast flowing Strait of Islay to the neighbouring island of Jura and its famous Paps.
Ardnahoe has an annual production capacity of 740,000 litres, which makes it one of the smaller distilleries on the island. It is also the only one on Islay to have traditional wormtub condensers, and one of just a handful in the entirity of Scotland. Water for production comes from the aforementioned Loch Ardnahoe. They make a mid-range peated style of spirit.
This first batch of Ardnahoe 5 Years Old Cask Strength is bottled at 60.9% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. It is available in selected specialist whisky retailers in selected world markets. A bottle will cost £70/ US$95.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is bright gold and the nose is vibrant, sweet and smoky. There are immediate confected aromas of strawberry shoelaces, vanilla and toffee, plus milk chocolate. There is plenty of intense smoke, which is sweet, woody and ashy, and reminiscent of barbeque smoke. Hints of toasted marshmallow, barbeque sauce, and something green and herbal, such as fresh asparagus, sit in the background.
On the palate this whisky is bold, smoky and sweet. The big and ashy smoke flavours have a flinty and ash-like edge, before becoming more drying and peppery with time. There is an abundance of vanilla coming through nicely, while the intense sweetness is driven by dried tropical fruit – think of mango and pineapple especially.
This feels deeper and darker than the nose suggested with elements of dried grass and hay, dark chocolate, and a late hint of burnt caramel detected, Further hints of dried banana and green apple, liquorice, buttery fudge and a twist of lemon zest citrus add depth and complexity, alongside that peppery ending. The toasted marshmallow reappears right at the death.
The finish is long and grips the tastebuds. Sweet vanilla and the dried tropical fruits linger superbly, before giving way to the bold peppery and ashy smoke. This gives late and intense heat and dryness, with a touch of gingerbread and oak tannins evolving too.
What’s The Verdict?
This is another fine whisky from Ardnahoe. We have been very impressed with what the family-owned Islay distillery have released to date, and they are building a very nice core range. This 5 Years Old Cask Strength is a powerful and big whisky. The high ABV shows off Ardnahoe’s peppery and ashy style of smoke superbly. But also its inherent fruitness and sweetness. This is clearly quite young but this gives a youthful exuberance and boldness. If their whisky is this good now, imagine how it will be with a few more years on the clock.
