
September 18, 2024

6 new cats from the West Coast of Alba

The London Whisky Show was a chance to discover a good number of new releases from young distilleries, most of them driven by passionate and enthusiastic teams.

Isle of Raasay (Isle of Raasay Distillery)

Sometimes, this was a striking contrast with a couple of old names that were present too, which suddenly felt rather a little dusty and tired to me. But thank goodness, the very vast majority of the big players seemed to be in excellent shape despite some of the new market figures, so please, let’s not jump to any hasty conclusions.

Isle of Harris 'The Hearach' (46%, OB, batch 16, 2024)

I had the pleasure of sampling the excellent batch 15 back in August, jokingly bemoaning the fact that batch 16 had already been released. Fortunately, batch 16 is now on the tasting table, though I can't help but wonder if batch 17 has already crept onto the scene. Perhaps not… Colour: white wine. Nose: it strikes me as a little less smoky this time around; but as I don’t have both batches side by side, I’ll leave it there. Delightful notes of apple cake, fruity beer, soft vegetables (carrot purée), and freshly baked morning pastries. A lovely, rather barley-forward nose. Mouth: the smoke is much more prominent here, a peppery, vegetal smoke, quite dry but in a very charming way. I even get a bit of chilli mingling with lime, giving it a slight 'Hebridean daiquiri' vibe, if you will. There’s also some earthiness, mineral dust, mustard, and as I noted last time, a little 'Fort William' character, if you catch my drift. Finish: long, decidedly salty, with just a touch of roguishness. There’s an aftertaste of roots, particularly gentian. Comments: it’s fantastic that they’ve maintained their style without veering off in every direction like so many others.
SGP:462 – 87 points.

Ardnahoe ‘Infinite Loch’ (50%, OB, bourbon and oloroso, 2024)

This is the third release from Ardnahoe, with the first two being very much to my taste. For a distillery, an 'infinite' loch can only be a blessing, even on Islay, if you recall the droughts of the late 1960s that forced distilleries to shut down. Here, Ardnahoe evokes a loch infinite in its depths, though as long as they don’t start conjuring up Ardbeg-style legends, we’re safe—no sixteen-armed freshwater octopus or Islay Nessie, thankfully! Colour: pale gold. Nose: incredible, I find it very ‘West Coast’ as well as distinctly Islay. In short, West of Scotland, East of Islay. There’s a slightly oily, robust quality, yet with the grace and precision of a gymnast. Smoked oysters are very present, perhaps some mussels too, crabs from the Sound, seaweed, followed by bergamot, oranges, wet chalk, and clay... With water: more wet chalk and that famous old tweed jacket from the Islay Woollen Mill, one that’s seen plenty of rain, storms, and vintages. Mouth (neat): this is superb. Green pepper, oranges, grapefruits, seafood, lightly oily smoke, almonds, green apples, sushi, and a hint of green olive... With water: a few more spices, cinnamon, turmeric, a touch of ginger, and then some Kildalton tar. Finish: long, salty, somewhat rich and oily, with more smoked fish. Comments: while it can’t quite match the surprise of the Inaugural Release, this first ‘regular’ version is rather brilliant. I’ll add that it only needs a drop of water—best not to drown it.
SGP:557 – 88 points.

Nc’nean 2020+older/2024 ‘Cask Strength MN21’ (59%, OB, 5,021 bottles)

It’s organic, ‘made by nature not rules’, sustainable - a word now compulsory just everywhere - but also 55% ex-STRed red wine cask, which I find a bit at odds with the concept, and certainly not very ‘terroiry’. Then again, it’s what’s in the glass that matters, is it not? Colour: gold. Nose: the STR influence is clear, with rose jelly, peonies, blood oranges, bubblegum, Szechuan pepper, and even some very fruity and feisty hops. On the other hand, it’s not overtly vinous at all, which is the beauty of these STR wine casks everyone’s using these days. Strawberry-vanilla ice cream. With water: as is often the case, it returns to the barley, with scones, croissants, chamomile, and a tiny touch of roasted nuts. Mouth (neat): this is very good, full-bodied, lemony, and clearly led by the cask influence, but it’s all been expertly crafted, very much in the style of Dr Swan. Highly technical, but very well done. K*****n, get out of this bottle! With water: hints of parsley and dill, then limoncello and elderflower liqueur. Finish: long, with pepper liqueur, a certain sweetness, and triple sec. Comments: very modern, very good. I find it more successful than the previous batch, but we much prefer the pure ‘hogshead’ versions like the one from Berry Bros, where the excellent distillate shines through more.
SGP:751 – 85 points.

Isle of Raasay 5 yo ‘Unpeated’ (61.4%, OB, Na Sia Cask Series, Chinkapin oak cask, cask #19/543, 2024)

Ha, they don’t call this 5 years old, they say it’s 5 years young. Clever. It seems the less charming full name of Chinkapin oak is Quercus Muehlenbergii. Not quite as sexy, is it? I believe it was Glenmorangie’s Dr Bill who first brought Chinkapin oak to the fore some years back. Colour: deep gold. Nose: straight in with the Jaffa cakes—chocolate, sponge cake, and orange marmalade. With water: guava liqueur sidles in, joined by vineyard peaches and young summer cheese, something along the lines of Comté or Gruyère. Very pleasant. Mouth (neat): rich, thick, and liqueur-like. Loads of saffron, pink pepper, and blood oranges. With water: an explosion of exotic fruits, followed by a crescendo of spices—chilli, fermented tofu, masala, cardamom… rather mad, to be honest. A return of chocolate lingers in the background. Finish: long, rich, fruity, and loaded with… fruity spices. Comments: it’s more of a stylistic exercise, a bit like Nc’nean’s in a way, but crazier. I suspect the Chinkapin was nearly charred to oblivion. Spectacular stuff, perfect for those friends who think all whisky tastes the same. We all have those friends, don’t we?
SGP:761 - 85 points.

Isle of Raasay 5 yo ‘Peated’ (61.9%, OB, Na Sia Cask Series, peated Chinkapin oak cask, cask #19/74, 2024)

There may be a bit of confusion here, as the label reads ‘matured in a peated Chinkapin oak cask,’ which might suggest some crude flavouring with peated whisky, as more and more operators are doing (in-cask blending). But then it also says ‘Scottish barley malted with Highland peat,’ which suggests the exact opposite and is far more reassuring. I’m certain it’s the latter—a proper peated whisky, not some fake peater. Colour: deep gold. Nose: chocolate returns, along with Nutella, peanut butter, and pencil shavings. With water: orange juice, a cigarette smouldering in the ashtray, and a few slices of wild Spanish ham—proper pata negra. Mouth (neat): like running into Mike Tyson in a dark alley at nighttime to quickly cross the street... With water: now we’re getting somewhere, it’s rich, thick, spicy, and certainly woody this time, as though the peat brings out the tannins. The rest is a battle between bitter oranges and pink grapefruit. Let’s not forget the Szechuan pepper, which isn’t far off either. Not an ‘ultimate’ peater. Finish: more exotic fruits, white chocolate, and even a hint of young bourbon. Comments: both Raasays are rather extreme, and I can’t quite pick a favourite—they don’t fit into any particular mould. Very cask-driven, a bit like the Nc’nean, which may limit them in some ways but also makes them quite fun. There’s a slight Fiat Multipla vibe to them, if you catch my drift.
SGP:665 - 85 points.

Alright, I know we’ve said we’d have the Adnamurchans separate from now on, in 'specialised' sessions, but they are on the West Coast, aren’t they?

Ardnamurchan ‘The Midgie’ (48%, OB, 6,200 bottles, 2024)

A rather charming tribute, it seems, to those pesky little midges that can be a bit of a nuisance when one visits Scotland at certain times. It’s a blend of casks, including sherry, bourbon, Sauternes, and Madeira. No wonder it might attract the midges, ha! Colour: pale gold. Nose: you don’t really get the Madeira, nor the Sauternes, or even the sherry for that matter, so I’d imagine these were second or even third-fill casks, no? The result, however, is impeccable. There’s a lovely smoky focaccia vibe, buttery croissants, and delightful notes of smoked paprika (how good is that!), alongside hints of new tyres, spent oil, and fresh concrete… and perhaps just a whisper of Madeira after all. Really, it’s spot on. Mouth: the peat comes through more on the palate than on the nose, with green pepper, creosote, tar, smoked kippers, lemon, and apple, plus oysters and a few drops of Tabasco. Finish: long and beautiful, with a slightly herbal touch. Think samphire, lemon, and a drop of seawater. Comments: utterly delightful and very peaty. The good side of midges, as it were.
SGP:566 - 88 points.