Brand new Ardnamurchan releases (with 10 years old)
The Headland of the Great Seas is a perfect place to distil and mature whisky, according to the distillery that was named after exactly this place. The journey started in 2014. Ardnamurchan is now ending the year 2025 with a bang, releasing the first regular 10 years old in what is set to become core range. I try to keep up with every release. The end of 2025 sees exciting new products and prominent among them is a Heritage Barley variant. To be honest, I am happy in many ways that this is the newest colour in the crayon box, because all the cask variations became a little tedious, even though the quality remained high. So, still I will add my notes about the Peated Sauternes Cask Release to today’s festivities. The three single casks that I still have lying around will have to wait until 2026. There is always some more Ardnamurchan to go round, but most of these below are hitting the shelves now, so I guess you might appreciate an insight.
Ardnamurchan AD/, 10 years old, bottled at 46,8 % abv
First things first: A batch of 16.380 bottles of Ardnamurchan 10 years old. This teenager matured in bourbon barrels (95 %) and just a dash of sherry hogsheads (5 %). That breaks down in 54 barrels of the former and 2 hogsheads of the latter. The peated to unpeated ratio is 50-50.
Upon Sipping: Very pure and crystalline Ardnamurchan, almost an exclusive bourbon version. It shows on the nose; it is fresh, vanilla driven with a whiff of sea breeze. The vanilla carries over into an even fruitier character, all very light and subtle, on pear, green grapes and lemons. Balance is incredible, very inviting. Somehow it reminds me of a Turkish fruits & vegetables store in Berlin Kreuzberg, with a traffic congestion on the street in front of it. Fruit and smoke on an Autumn day. Taking a sip, I have to get used to the taste and texture of this 10 years old Ardnamurchan, and then I realize I have been drinking a lot of exotic expressions from this distillery, but not the naked version we have here. It is almost as if I am getting reintroduced to an old lover. Indeed, no Paul Lanois, no PX terror, no Sauternes or Mezcal. This is soft, peaty vanilla infused single malt, with a touch of banana and beautiful wood spice. The balance is very impressive. Some medicinal, maritime notes lurk in the background, but they are not as dominant as in other west highland malts like Oban. Still, I am reminded of that distillery. The salinity is subtle but there, and the viscosity of the liquid does the rest. Drinking strength is excellent, but we try with a little water as well. It releases the fruit on the nose more pronounced, mixed with candied notes from a bag of gummi bears.
I have a feeling the peated element in this Ardnamurchan 10 years old is the glue that holds the whole structure together. Just lovely. The palate suffers from the water though, so be very modest with the pipet, even though the peat seems to explode more exuberantly on the finish. Multifaced Highland malt in the glass here!
Word to the Wise: The Ardnamurchan 10 years old can easily take a spot between the crown jewels of core range single malt of (roughly) the same age. Think of Ben Nevis, Benromach, Oban and Springbank. Even if not the same as those, it does create the same vibe in sheer brilliance. On repeated nosing, it is not farfetched to say you can smell old classic Highland malt in the glass, as if the ghost of long lost distilleries like Millburn, Glen Mhor and Glenlochy found their way to the peninsula. Highly recommended whisky!
Score: 88 points.
Ardnamurchan AD/, Sauternes Cask Release Peated, bottled at 50 % abv
First things first: A batch of 8.460 bottles exactly, with peated Ardnamurchan matured in ex-bourbon & ex-Sauternes barrique. All from 2018 vintage, first 3 years in bourbon wood, and the second part of the maturation in the Sauternes casks. The unpeated version we tasted here.
Upon Sipping: Apparently created due to popular demand, let’s see if the fans were right to ask for it. Well, in any case, the nose is very passionate to be noticed! Smoky apricot, orange marmalade, hints of brand new car tyre (the peat at work). The arrival on the palate is surprisingly sweet and creamy, like pouring some honey on a spoon and then mixing it in your steaming hot cup of tea. On the finish the peat speaks volumes, with a dry smoky signoff drenched in a basket of freshly picked dades and oversized raisins. This bottling confirms the Ardnamurchan spirit is extremely versatile in playing with all kinds of variations (peated, unpeated, regular bourbon cask, exotic Sauternes cask). I am tasting this right after the 10 years old, and it feels like a departure and at the same time the same lane. Yes, adventurous whisky, even though the Sauternes is very, very present in the proceedings. But the rough, drying, almost rubbery peat signature makes for a strong grounding in the soul of what single malt is. Even the barley is to be found. With water, you will get a more vegetal experience from the glass, like smelling tired grass after a long hot summer alongside the road in rural France. Tarmac is there too, creating a poetic mix of the countryside.
Word to the Wise: Towards the end I felt this Ardnamurchan Sauternes Cask Release Peated turned more French than Scottish, but with these casks that is all perfectly logical. A strong sibling to the earlier Sauternes release. The score is more or less the same, but I think I prefer this one.
Score: 88 points.
Ardnamurchan AD/, Heritage Barley Release, bottled at 59,2 % abv
First things first: A batch of 10.290 bottles was released of this Heritage Barley Ardnamurchan. This 2025 release matured on bourbon barrels and the barley used was unpeated Golden Promise. You know, that strain that was made famous by The Macallan. This Highland single malt matured for around 6 years (2018 vintage). Not to be confused with the actual barley that is named Heritage and used by Waterford Distillery a little while ago.
Upon Sipping: First of all, I pick up a strong minty sensation from the nose, mixed with a very pure barley note. I am going all ways in this session, starting with a blend of peated and unpeated in the “10”, then purely peated in the “Sauternes”, and now purely unpeated with this Ardnamurchan Heritage Barley. More vanilla after some breathing, and hints of fruit that I need to define better after some water. Nosing is difficult at this strength. The taste is very pure, with raw grain mixed with lots of vanilla, and then beautiful dark chocolate on the finish, defined with soft wood. The chocolate is pronounced too on the nose after adding a good dash of water. The taste becomes more dry on the barley, lots of bread, think warm Kaiserbrötchen on a Sunday morning. Have we found a breakfast whisky here? With time and patience, more fruitiness emerges on the nose, with some dades and even peaches, but always mingled with some mint (which seems like an off-note, but somehow it works). Some fruit even tingles me when I finish my glass. What a ride!
Word to the Wise: I love very pure, barley drive whisky, and this one does not even have peat to distract us from the core ingredient of every single malt whisky. Golden Promise delivers indeed and this Ardnamurchan Heritage Barley feels like a ray of golden sunshine in the glass. Very hard to pick a favourite this session, so I will keep it at a three way draw in points.
Score: 88 points.