Whisky Review & Summer Cocktail | 46.8% ABV

Score: 7/10

**Very Good Indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*The ocean breeze puts the mind at ease*

A Trip to The Coast

We are about to talk about Ardnamurchan, so I feel at the outset I need to caveat this and remind you; this is not a Dougie Crystal review. This is Gilbert.

Stunning, near-cinematic bottle shots will be replaced with smartphone snaps while riveting tales and poetic prose are swapped out for bad puns and copy made possible only with the help of a spell checker.

No matter. We kick off something of a series where the Dramface staff have suggested we share our favourite summer cocktails and review the base whisky we prefer to use while doing so; a theme for many, myself included, that’s firmly rooted in flavour.

So, as mentioned this review certainly will have a different flavour to Doog’s take on the same bottle which he covered in summer of 2022, but it’s as good a place as any for me to start with my own take on this Ardnamurchan - and also the F word. Specifically, how I discovered it in whisky.

In the heady days of BP (before pandemic, which feels like a different world), I vividly remember uncorking and sipping Old Pulteney 12yo. For the first time, I’d found “my whisky”.

The sweet coastal salt on the palate snapped me back to my childhood, growing up on England’s Jurassic Coast in the South West. While it was less diplodocus and more mobility scooter, the sea air rusting away any exposed metals always made the town feel somehow prehistoric. To this day I still adore the aroma of wet pebbles, stormy winds and seaweed. Somehow, a glass of Scotch whisky can bring those waves of nostalgia crashing back.

Of course, from Pulteney’s ubiquitous 12 year old I had to take a deeper dive into those coastal drams, trying every release that had that salty maritime promise: Lagavulin to Torabhaig, Talisker to Rock Island and beyond. I’ve submerged my snout into many glasses of beachy booze. Flavours varied from licking dry pebbles to chewing seaweed-covered driftwood as I often wondered - how are these flavours created in whisky?

The marketing always led me to believe it was due to location, location, location: “A dunnage on the beach brings the salty breeze to the barrels”. But of course, I now understand that those tales of coastal winds whispering to the whisky through sealed casks is, sadly, not the case. Arguments are made that it’s more likely down to process, barley, water, yeast, draughty warehouses, coastal humidity, temperature fluctuation and, dare I suggest, terroir as well as peat influence or the all-important and defining maturation cask makeup. To me it matters not, these are not the waters I feel brave or curious enough to wade into. All I know is, I love the stuff.

Of course, as this series may help prove, it’s not just about enjoying these special flavours neat. When used in a mixed drink or cocktail this oceanic character doesn't just sink to the bottom, it makes a massive difference to the drink.

As part of this Dramface summer, a few of us are choosing our favourite cocktails and reviewing the whiskies that we prefer to use as the boozy flavour component. Today’s recipe is called “Lazy Gill’s Ardna-Fashioned”. As you’ll discover, it’s a very basic, but modern, take on a classic Old Fashioned.

Not being one for the fussiness of cocktails, the beauty of this recipe is its simplicity and it’s a great entry to the whisky cocktail world, with no bottle-spinning or cup-shaking necessary.

The first step is to make a simple syrup. This is just a one-to-one mix of sugar and water and can be made in many ways. If you’re feeling fancy, half a cup of white granulated sugar and half a cup of your finest tap water, in a pan to heat until there is a slight increase in thickness and the sugar has dissolved. If you are short on time, I have boiled a kettle and mixed this in a Kilner jar, but I’ve also gone full-lazy and mixed in a teaspoon of sugar and cold water to similar effect.

Next is your glassware. Now, this is very important. Some say tumbler, some say rocks glass. The key, for me, is to get something that you can both hold in your hand and comfortably drink from. From crystal cut finery to plastic Disneyland-branded refillable Coca Cola cups, anything goes. But, for classy people like you, I suggest a nice glass. Treat yourself.

Add in your sugar syrup and then mix with the bitters. For maybe two tablespoons of syrup I’d add about four dashes of bitters. Since this is my recipe, I personally recommend Angostura Cocoa Bitters; you can use the classic bitters or the orange variation, but the cocoa flavours just give it more depth and life. Now, here comes the best bit - the whisky.

Traditionally this would have been a Bourbon or even a Rye, but if you have a fantastic coastal catch like Ardnamurchan I really suggest you try it. I cannot give you an accurate measurement of how much whisky to add as I’ve always winged it based on mood. Let’s say a hearty splash.

Finally we get to the all-important ice. This frosty glass-filler helps the flavours meld together as it slowly melts, as well as making the drink a cooling treat in the UK heatwave right now.

As pictured, I have gone for the Darth Vader variety. Now, this is a pro move which does require build-up prep first but any large or small chunks work well. Honestly, as I write this, I’m on my second Ardna-Fashioned and using a chunk of ice from defrosting my freezer. Pretty sure there is a loose pea in here.

Anyway, once we’ve given it all a stir it’s time for the garnish, so get your peeler ready. Now, I made a trip out to purposely buy an obscene orange for the photoshoot, but I have in the past used old satsuma skin from my childs leftover lunchbox. However, I do again advise; treat yourself.

Slice off a good wedge of skin (orange not yours) and squeeze the zest all over the drink and don’t forget to slide it around the rim of the glass to give an extra citrus hit on the lips. You can twist it and carefully balance it on top for a photo, then just stuff it in the glass next to the ice.

There you have it. The fantastic Ardna-Fashioned. Cheers.

But what of my thoughts on the neat whisky?

Review

Ardnamurchan AD/, official bottling, core release, Batch AD/10.22.04, 46.8% ABV
£50 typically and widely available

Of course, it is only right that I give airtime to the fantastic main ingredient. This is the core release from Ardnamurchan and a shelf staple for many. For me this is a rare “repeat order” as it brings me that coastal excitement every time I pop the cork, with the Adelphi Dancey Man staring back at me.

This review is actually of the first bottle of AD that landed on my shelves, Bottle 951/23770 of AD/10.22:04 which was bottled on the 16/11/2022. My “back up bottle”, which was grabbed on sale last year, was taken with me to a party up the coast with the dregs sailing on to a new owner.

Either way, let’s get reviewing. Imagine if I don’t pick up any salty notes after all of this…

Nose

Fresh sea breeze and chalky beach pebbles after a day of hot sun beating down. Citrus notes of oranges and limes as well as a light meaty note; like a roast chicken. Salted butter; cereally with a wisp of ashy peat.

Palate

A fresh fruit salad on the seafront: kiwi, grapefruit, melon, green grapes all arrive with the first sip. This is followed with an ashy and slightly tannic twinge on the palate bringing a vivid contrast straight off the bat.

The more you return, the fruitier notes dial down as the faint and sweet smoke builds overtime; a birthday cake with the candles still in. It finishes surprisingly dry with a toffee and coffee finish.

The Dregs

It's undeniable that Ardnamurchan gets a lot of screen time on Dramface, with a rough count of around thirty eight different expressions reviewed to date. While some could feel there’s a secret handshake deal going down behind the bar, it simply comes down to them producing fairly priced, exciting and interesting whisky, and we’re all buying into it.

I’ve been fortunate to have tried many from their range, but for me this humble core release always rises to the top, and there’s nothing old-fashioned about it.

Score: 7/10

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. GG

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