57,4°
Distillery : Ardnamurchan - Highlands
1st Fill American Oak Bourbon Barrels and Champagne Wine Finish
Original Bottling
Limited Edition
Single Malt
Bottled in 2026
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Totally Unpeated
It took nearly two years for this expression to reach its 5th Batch. Launched in 2021, it had previously been an annual release. This one was matured in 1st Fill American Oak Bourbon Barrels before undergoing a finishing period of approximately 14 months in Champagne wine Barriques sourced from Domain Paul Lanois in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, France. It's a blending of around 10 casks, yielding exactly 5726 bottles, 2500 more than the previous batch. The age has also increased, approaching nine years, distilled in March 2017 and bottled in February 2026, whereas earlier batches were around 6 or 7 years old. Less frequent releases, but with greater volume and age, it's a good deal.
Let's Taste It :
It is floral and fruity, very citrusy with barley sugar, blood oranges, crushed almonds, rum-soaked raisins, candied lemon, a few farmyard notes of cut hay and peach pits. Salted butter caramel. On the palate, it is oily and intensely fruity, fresh apricots, totasted nuts, vanilla cream and liquid honey, ginger and rhubarb in the background. Dulce de leche and cracked black pepper. A powerful finish, blond tobacco, liquorice, sanded wood, a pinch of sea salt, mirabelle plum and banana fruit jellies.
In Short,
To be honest, I usually struggle with this edition since I'm not a fan of Champagne, but I have to admit that this batch is much better than the others. More maturity, more structure and fruitiness, an oilier spirit and a very fine finish, it's a genuinely solid whisky. What's more, it seems that the price has come down. It's an improvement all around.
Score : 87+
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Starmother - Hesitation
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