Ardnamurchan Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

I owe my newfound love of Ardnamurchan to a Scottish friend and fellow spirits enthusiast, who poured me a wee dram after a recent dinner at his house. It immediately grabbed me by the nose, delighted my palate, and warmed my belly. For a distillery that has only been up and running for nine years, producing a single malt whiskey of this caliber is a phenomenal achievement. And to do this in a remote location in the western Highlands using only local renewable energy sources makes the accomplishment even more impressive. Ardnamurchan uses equal parts peated and unpeated barley, giving it just enough smoky scent to be alluring but not overwhelming. Using the blockchain-enabled QR code, I learned that a bottle from a recent batch was composed mostly of six-year-old casks, about two-thirds ex-bourbon and a third ex-sherry, with a couple of older casks thrown into the mix. The whisky’s relative youthfulness didn’t detract at all from from the perfectly balanced array of flavors, with notes of nutmeg, flamed orange peel, and campfire smoke. In the spirit of paying my Scottish friend’s favor to me forward, I heartily encourage you, too, to discover the pleasures of this exciting new whisky. (6/case)

- Consultant David Mahoney