Ardnahoe Cask Strength
2025 Batch No.1 | 60.9% ABV
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
A juicy scorcher from Scotland’s best new distillery
The Dramface Academy?
I’m a bit of an obsessive.
Not in the block-my-number, stalker-vibes, soon-to-be-the-subject-of-a-true-crime podcast way but more in the (hopefully) charming and nerdy way.
When I find a subject I like, or a passion that interests me, I tend to just grab it with both hands and hug it tight. Time doesn’t exist when studying or practicing and no fact is too obscure when researching something I enjoy. I approach these enthusiasms with the wide-eyed zest and zeal of a new adventure, complete with excitement, eagerness, and obsession over the smallest details. I don’t just want to “learn” the thing, I want to master the thing.
As a pubescent boy with rock star dreams, I remember the methodical slog of learning a new instrument. I had never played anything with strings, nor did I come from a particularly musical family. My closest foray into music had been a slight proficiency at the clarinet in the school band - but I kept at that more because of the friends I made than a real desire to be good.
I chose bass guitar, not because it seemed appealing but because my first band needed a bass player (this is how most people become bass players). But the more I played the more I loved it and of course the more I loved it the better I got. Thus, creating that virtuous cycle that turns decent musicians into very good musicians.
I studied my scales, learned to read sheet music (a rarity for rock musicians), and got pretty damn good - I still covet the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award I received in high school – not to brag but I was probably one of the best bass players in my greater geographical area. I even gave lessons to a couple of poor souls to make money between tours. To say nothing of the fact I put my all on that stage and gave a hell of a live performance if I do say so myself. I no longer play and my finger callouses have long faded, but I could still rip if I got the chance.
I aspire so that when describing my life’s passions, I get to tack on a “-nerd” at the end. That’s a badge that proves devotion to a subject is more than topical. A storied company of devotees fully committed to whatever category they’ve set their sights on.
I’m not someone who appreciates history, I’m a “history-nerd.”
I’m not someone who just likes the works of J.R.R Tolkien, I’m a “Tolkien-nerd.”
If in the words of Malcolm Gladwell, “to achieve expertise in something is to practice it for 10,000 hours” then to be a nerd about something requires a similar summation of dedication.
So, when my sudden newfound love for whisky turned those keys in my brain that opened the door to obsession, I followed those same, similar patterns. It wasn’t enough to just have a few bottles and wind down with a dram after a long day – as had been the extent of my whisky journey so far – I had to learn everything there is to know: distillery deep dives, stories and legends, sampling the newest and best of what’s out there. More than that I had to take meticulous notes, exercise my senses, share with others, and dive head-first into an amber pool of mania.
In the middle of that swirl of finding new folks to follow on social media and reading every Charles MacLean book I could find, I discovered the online emporium of whisky wisdom that is Dramface.
Logging countless hours on its search bar, its depository of anecdotes, stories, notes, comparisons, and comments, fed my obsession for all things Water of Life. This website, then only a couple of years old, with its backlog of write-ups was a veritable warehouse of whisky lore. Plus, a new bottle everyday – sometimes multiple!
And now I wasn’t just a whisky nerd, I was a “botherer.” That sounded like the mountaintop of geekdom to me.
Reading Dramface is studying as much as it is enjoyment, and I could take a good rating to the bank. For those of us living thousands of miles away from where whisky is produced, matured, and bottled, forced to rely on retailers and shippers, a punt is more painful when it misses - one must be damn sure.
Thanks to Dramface, my first big punt was a game winner. (Punts don’t win games in American football but I like the metaphor.)
It happened a couple of years ago when I was in my rookie season as a punter. I was cataloguing 8/10 and 9/10 whiskies (as one does) using the search bar and came across a brand-new distillery earning the highest of praise from Wally himself. I had heard of Ardnahoe, however at the time it was near impossible to find a bottle here -- but lo! I found a retailer that would ship. And it wasn’t too expensive.
That first “punt” was the Ardnahoe 5-year Inaugural Release. It was over after that. (If only they could all be like this…).
I love(d) that bottle and snatched up every affordable Ardnahoe release I could, including their tasty core range and the Aqvavitae Small Batch release that I was incredibly lucky to source thanks to a friend online.
I began sharing Ardnahoe with my tasting groups and making samples for whisky friends. The reaction was always “no way a whisky this young tastes this good.” Which is perfect for my personal narrative that “age statements don’t matter” (I’m getting a banner of that hung over my bar). We’ve done blind comparisons to the “Islay legends” and Ardnahoe always comes out on top. And the “5” they often have proudly displayed on their bottle is quite the topic of conversation.
Our shared love for these newbies has created a bit of a cult here in Long Beach. We call ourselves the “Ardna-heaux.” (If anyone from the distillery is reading this, let me know if you want to partner on t-shirts.)
But more than that, I’ve felt like I’ve grown alongside them and that’s exciting. My whisky obsession has run parallel to their output. I’ve been a full-blown “botherer” about the same time they’ve been bottling. So, as I evolve in my journey, they will also and for that Ardnahoe always has a place of honor on the shelf.
Dramface has also been maturing for almost four years now and the writers and editors need to realize there’s a new generation of whisky-nerds and botherers who owe them a great deal - ok, as a middle-aged man I’m not a “new generation” of anything - but I’m living proof that a Dramface education exists.
I don’t assume their loyal flock of readers are as obsessive as I am, but at 1,450+ reviews and counting, it’s hard to think of a better place to earn a whisky scholarship. The ad writes itself: “All from the comfort of your own home!”
I may not be close to knowing everything about whisky. But I have a Dramface degree.
Review
Ardnahoe Cask Strength, 2025 Release, Batch No.1, matured in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, 60.9% ABV
US$80 paid (£65) and generally available
Proof that the “Ardna-heaux” are very much alive and well I got this as a pair with the other bottle going to a friend. I’m not sure what the level is on hers, but mine is getting dangerously low and I’ve only had this a couple of months - and I’m usually a slow sipper!
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
A juicy scorcher from Scotland’s best new distillery
Nose
I’m very familiar with the Ardnahoe profile at this point and the first thing that stands out to me is how much more of a fruit bomb this is compared to their other releases. Not necessarily right away, but over time that sweet fruitiness makes itself known. The use of first-fill bourbon barrels works wonderfully with this distillate.
Clean woodsmoke and lovely peppery spice. At first the high ABV is front-and-center - this dram should be treated delicately, but with time we see a noticeably light and approachable whisky. Juicy lemon-lime citrus. Roasted potatoes with seasoning salt. Canned peaches. Pineapple. Grilled lemon chicken. 7UP. A slight earthiness along with dry wood and charred logs. There’s big vanilla here too, but it’s creamy and sweet and nicely layered around the smoke and fruit - varying each time I go back. Adding water brings candied lemon, MSG (one of my favorite Ardnahoe notes), brighter fruits like golden delicious apples and lime wedges. Vanilla cream pie.
Palate
Initially hot like the nose but also gradually mellows. The smoke is fuller and spicier, earthy, and sooty with hints of cookfire and grill smoke. More lemon chicken and vanilla cream but also salted caramel. Full mouthfeel that has a nice juiciness. Water brings out more dessert notes like Kozy Shack Vanilla Pudding and birthday cake frosting. There’s a drying, ashy smokiness on the long finish. More salt & pepper, a touch of earthiness, and lemon bundt cake. A great whisky. Period.
The Dregs
It’s unbelievable this distillery that’s in every enthusiasts’ back pocket and receiving widespread acclaim has been releasing whisky for less than two years. The future is very bright. As much as I said, “Age statements don’t matter”, it’s hard to see the quality of the liquid they have quietly maturing in their warehouses going down with time. A 5-year-old release that already scores an 8/10 does create an expectation for continued greatness.
Botherer beware: this is a punchy dram no doubt and best enjoyed with some time and water. I’ll admit the first couple I had were a little too hot, but once it settled, the contents transformed into an extraordinary smoky-fruity-juicy masterpiece. Compared to Ardnahoe’s other core releases, this one stands out over the Infinite Loch and the Bholsa. I think the Inaugural still has the slight edge – barely - but that’s literally lightning in a bottle, and we may never see its like again.
The distillery claims this will be a new core release, but the ”Batch No1” on the label leads me to believe there will be slight variations with each new release - as can be expected with cask strength - looks like I’ll have to save some to compare it to “Batch No2” when that arrives.
Finally, as I was conceptualizing and writing this piece I did my best not to be intimidated by the fact that Dramface Academy Headmaster Wally Macaulay had this as his “Whisky of the Year” 2025. I didn’t go back and re-read his notes so as not to be influenced in my own write-up, now that this is done, I’m excited to compare.
Score: 8/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. AD
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