Ardnamurchan Spirit 2018/AD

Ardnamurchan is Adelphi’s up and coming distillery, which was founded in 2014. They could have legally released a scotch whisky by now, but have decided to wait a little bit longer. In the mean time, we get to taste their annual “Spirit” releases, which include blends of different ages from 1 to 4 years: legally not yet scotch. This being an Adelphi-related product, it is still bottled without chill-filtering or colouring, at cask strength. According to the Adelphi rep, this is a blend of 1 and 3.5 year old spirit, and is a mix of peated and unpeated.

This is one of a bunch of whiskies I had recently at a fantastic Adelphi tasting.

1. Adelphi Miltonduff 2007
2. Adelphi Glenborrodale Batch 6
3. Adelphi Breath of Speyside 2006 (10yo)
4. Adelphi The Kincardine
5. Adelphi Bowmore 19yo 1997
6. Ardnamurchan Spirit 2018/AD

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Distiller: Ardnamurchan
Distilled: Undisclosed
Bottled: 2018
ABV: 55.3%
Age: NAS
Cask type: Sherry octaves, Oloroso & PX.
Source: Pour at Apollon, Bergen, Norway.
Setting: Unblind.

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Nose: Flowery. Vanilla, mossy forest, corn flakes, white peach. Some heat. Not finding a whole lot of peat.
Palate: Hot malty mash, perfume, tropical fruit. Mild. Particularly to be 55.3%!
Finish: Long, a nice hit of heat that was absent on the palate. Custard, hibiscus, perfume.
Overall: Outstanding for its age. Floral and quite delicious. I would love to own a bottle of this for regular consumption, and may just have to buy one. It’s not the kind of thing I would want to keep around forever, but for a drinking whisky? Heck yes. It’s simultaneously friendly and special. If I had any quarrel it’s that there was not a whole lot of peat to be found—but this is just fine, for my taste.
Rank: 6