I know that I am a little late to the party on this one – everything new and exciting just seems to take just a little longer to reach me here in South Africa. But, better late than never! This particular whisky, as the name suggests, is the very first whisky to be released by Ardnahoe.
Ardnahoe is a fairly new distillery. It’s the ninth distillery on Islay, and was founded by the Hunter Laing family, who are the team behind the Glasgow-based independent blenders and bottlers, Hunter Laing & Co. Ltd. The name of the distillery comes from its location next to Loch Ardnahoe, which is also the water source for the distillery.
Construction of the distillery started in 2016. Two years later, in 2018, Ardnahoe officially began distilling. Given that their very first casks were filled in November 2018, the fact that they waited until 2024 to release their first whisky is perhaps a little unusual. They could technically have released a whisky three years ago, but instead they opted to wait a little longer in order to release this 5-year-old whisky (which probably contains some almost 6-year-old whisky). Their patience in this regard seems like a promising indication that Ardnahoe will be very much interested in producing some quality whisky.
Many newly established distilleries will begin selling their whisky as soon as it reaches the legal minimum age (three years in Scotland). This doesn’t mean the whisky is necessarily bad – it’s just young. It is somewhat surprising that Ardnahoe didn’t do this too. Setting up a new distillery is a costly business, after all, and requires significant investment in terms of building or setting up facilities and equipment, and purchasing ingredients. Given the legal specifictions around the age of whisky, distilleries have to wait a long time before this final product can be sold. By releasing a whisky that has only been aged for three years, distilleries can begin to bring in cash flow to cover their costs, maintain production, and keep the business viable while waiting for some older stock to mature.
While Ardnahoe was the first new distillery to be built on Islay in 15 years, it is actually no longer the newest distillery on Islay. Port Ellen distillery just reopened on the 19th of March this year. After 40 years of closure, Port Ellen has already released two 44-year-old whiskies that are available as a pair. Named the Gemini Collection, the pair of whiskies have been taken from European Oak casks which were filled back in 1978 before the distillery’s closure. There are a very limited number of these whiskies available, and their rarity and impressive age statements come with a predictably astronomical price tag (currently just over $58,000 for a set) – so it’s safe to say that these whiskies are mainly targeted at collectors. While Port Ellen has now restarted whisky production, it will still take some time before any new whisky reaches maturity, and so wider availability of Port Ellen’s whisky is likely still a few years away.
For an average consumer, the Inaugural Release from Ardnahoe is also a fairly pricy whisky. I can find a bottle for just under $190 (roughly the same price as a bottle of Glen Scotia 18, or a bottle of Glenmorangie Signet). It’s a limited edition, so its price is likely to keep climbing as it becomes harder and harder to find.
This whisky has been matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks, and bottled at what Ardnahoe states is their preferred strength of 50% ABV – so you can anticipate that it’ll pack a bit of a punch. It’s also natural colour and non-chill filtered.
Ardnahoe has actually already released a second whisky with very similar specifications – their Infinite Loch (a no-age-statement whisky), is also matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks. It is also bottled at 50% ABV, naturally coloured and non-chill filtered. With such strong parallels between the two, it would be interesting to conduct a side by side comparison – something I’ll think about attempting once their latest whisky release finally makes an appearance around here.
Something else to note about Ardnahoe is that they are also one of a few distilleries which make use of worm tubs. Only a handful of distilleries still use worm tubs (some notable examples include Talisker and Craigellachie). Worm tubs are an old, traditional style of condenser that utilise long copper pipes (or “worms”) that wind through large tubs of cold water. The use of worm tubs is said to result in a heavier whisky, with what is often described as something of a “meaty” character. This is because worm tubs tend to cool vapor quickly, so there is supposedly less copper contact compared to modern condensers. As a result, the spirit produced often ends up retaining more of the heavier, sulphurous compounds that copper usually helps to remove. This can lead to more earthy or savoury notes in the final whisky, which some people enjoy – and this would be something to potentially look out for in a whisky from Ardnahoe.
Ardnahoe 5 Inaugural Release – Review
Colour: Tawny.
On the nose: Hefty peat smoke, with an almost rich and meaty quality to it. I found there were also a lot of fresh fruity notes that jumped out – pear, green melon and mango. A slightly spicy note lurks in the background, which reminds me of cinnamon, with the tiniest touch of aniseed.
In the mouth: A very noticeable mouth-coating and viscous texture, which lends the whisky quite a soft and rounded feel – something a little surprising for a young whisky with such a high ABV. Peaty, but perhaps not as intense as the nose would suggest. Buttery shortbread. Some slightly darker fruit notes, plums and strawberries. An aromatic woody note makes an appearance, followed by a spicy prickle which lingers for some time.
A drop of water helped to make the fruit notes on the nose much brighter and sweeter. The buttery note on the palate was greatly diminished, and I found that the whisky lost the viscosity that I had enjoyed.
Conclusion:
In spite of its relatively young age, the Ardnahoe Inaugural Release didn’t strike me as an obviously immature whisky. It was complex enough, and also managed to feel reasonably well-rounded. That being said, youth and peat go well together (as anyone who has tasted Ardbeg’s 5-year-old Wee Beastie can attest to), and I think fans of peated whisky would not be unhappy with this one. I personally also enjoyed the fruitiness of this whisky, particularly the aroma of fresh mangos that I got on the nose.
This first-ever release is, however, a little on the expensive side for my budget. Yet with limited bottles available, and all the hype surrounding this new distillery, it’s price is understandable enough. All in all, I certainly enjoyed this whisky, and I look forward to tasting more of what Ardnahoe has to offer in the future.
