ARDNAMURCHAN SINGLE MALT
Single Cask #75 selected by K&L (2025)MASH BILL – 100% malted barley
PROOF – 119.8
AGE – 8 years (The label was printed at 7 years, prior to bottling at 8)
DISTILLERY – Ardnamurchan Distillery
PRICE – $105 (discounted from $150)
WORTH BUYING? – Almost
My introduction to Ardnamurchan was the Fall 2025 10 Year release. I was going through a prolonged bout of sherry fatigue at the time, and the emphasis on ex-bourbon casks used for this release was appealing. Also, aged a full decade, it was certain to lack the potential rough edges of youth.
At uncorking, my eyebrows shot up immediately. It was so good. I even wondered if it bested that holy water of scotch-fan scotch, Springbank. I often find Springbank so utterly perfect as to be somewhat forgettable. The Ardnamurchan 10 Year offered a complexity marked by grittiness that nevertheless presented no jagged edges. Had I found my favorite new scotch?
I still don’t know if Ardnamurchan is that. Nevertheless, it was with enthusiasm that I then picked up this single cask selected by K&L. Slightly younger in age, higher in ABV, and not a blend, K&L’s bottle had the potential to offer a singular, pure experience with Ardnamurchan’s carefully cultivated whisky.
So here we are, four weeks after uncorking and three pours into the bottle. These brief notes were taken using a traditional Glencairn.
COLOR – clear buttery and pale lemon yellows, with sunny gold highlights
NOSE – lemon, custard, sea salt, beach sand, vanilla cream, a malty porridge, a subtle waft of wood smoke
TASTE – a dry edginess up front from the salt, malt, wood smoke, and potent ABV; then a creamy texture pushes through and with it comes sweeter vanilla, peach, and apricot notes, some tart baked lemon, and eventually the maltiness takes on that thick porridge quality again
FINISH – lemony custard, malt, subtle wood smoke
OVERALL – both edgy and soft, brisk and thick
I feel mixed about this one. On the one hand, the quality is evident from first look through to the finish. The shifting colors, the complexity of aroma and flavor, the range of texture. On the other hand, the edgy aspects grate on me. I wish they would relax and allow the softer, sweeter, rounder notes to take center stage. I’m all for a dry or bitter outline to a whisky’s flavor profile. But when that element gets as insistent as it is here, I find it an unpleasant annoyance. Like a mosquito’s persistent flyby in the ear.
I added a good dollop of water. The dry aspects remain on the nose, but now the vanilla has amped up, and with it the custard and cream notes are more present. On the taste, the edge has substantially softened. Now it doesn’t grate. It’s still jagged, but more like a rough outline than a central note. But the various flavors have lost a bit of their individual distinction. They’re all swirled up in that malty porridge, which is itself pleasant, more savory than sweet. And on the finish, malty porridge lingers, with lemon zest and vanilla paired up as accents.
Ardnamurchan continues to impress with its quality. Their elegant packaging and transparency are also quite appealing. This single cask doesn’t make the same strong impression on me as that 2025 10 Year release, so I might stick to their blends going forward. I picked up this bottle on sale, which put it nearer the price of their standard higher-end releases. Why pay more for the gamble a single cask offers?
But I’m not mad at this bottle. I’ll continue to drink it neat with various dollops of water to tame the ABV’s edge. And I’m not at all squeamish about putting pricy whiskies toward cocktails. I don’t doubt this single malt will do well by a Penicillin, Rob Roy, or Cameron’s Kick.
Sláinte!
