Though my take on this whisky differs from that of Dramface (the only other write-up I've found about this, or a similar, Ardnamurchan), I highly recommend reading through his quotes about the Golden Promise barley strain. Golden Promise was once beloved for the texture and flavor it produced through brewing and distillation, but corporations were not fond of it due to the strain's low alcohol yield and susceptibility to mildew. Legend has it that Golden Promise was behind the high quality of specific single malts in decades past (picture Macallan's golden years). Whether Golden Promise was the secret or not, I always appreciate when whisky distilleries play with barley and/or yeast strains.
Brought back from the Scottish holy land by Doctors Springbank (thank you, folks!), is this sample of a sherry-octave-aged Ardnamurchan 5 year old that used only Golden Promise in its production.
Owner: Adelphi
Alcohol by Volume: 57.4%
Chillfiltration? No
Colorant? No
NEAT
Big nose here. Butterscotch, toffee, toasted oak, and massive amount of vanilla shout the loudest. Root beer barrel candies and cardamom fill the middle, while perfume floats in the background. The palate begins like liquid oak spice. Then there's some toffee, golden syrup, and hints of savoriness and peppery smoke. Some Signet-esque chocolate malt materializes later on. But it's mostly small cask insanity. The drying finish is mostly golden syrup with baking spices and a hint of that chocolate malt.
DILUTED to ~40%abv, or >2½tsp of water per 30mL whisky
I added more water than usual to this pour in an attempt to break through the oak. Indeed the oak is quieter on the nose, and a barley note arises. There's less vanilla, more maple syrup. Butterscotch and toasted almonds, with those root beer barrel candies in the back. The sweet, silky palate starts with vanilla and almond extracts, as well as a malty touch. Bitterness and florals float around the edges. It finishes floral, tart, and peppery with a dash of vanilla.
WORDS WORDS WORDS
Diluted is the way to go on this one, for me. Even then, none of it is really in balance, but it's not bad. I don't understand why they put such a unique spirit into a tiny, heavily sherried cask, but Adelphi does love its extra sherried bottlings. Despite the oak mostly overwhelming the barley, the drink is always entertaining. Sadly the octave outturn was tiny, so the release likely sold out quickly, but it is a 2024 bottling so I think I get points for that.
Pricing - 70GBP, maybe?
