WF’s Little Duos, today a fairly stupid session


July 3, 2025

WF’s Little Duos, today a fairly stupid session

My fault, naturally, the very distinguished distillers have nothing to do with this choice. Indeed, we're going to compare two very young distilleries from the West that we really like, and whose names, moreover, both start with ‘Ardna’, which more or less means ‘high point’ in Gaelic, or summit, hill, that sort of thing. Indeed, I know, this doesn’t make much sense, but at WF we do what we like, capeesh? And this is almost Friday…

A field of cultivated espadin
agaves in Mexico (Taqueria)

Ardnamurchan 2017/2025 ‘Mezcal Cask Release’ (55%, OB, 4968 bottles)

Frankly, they’re already chucking Lagavulin into tequila casks, so why shouldn’t others give mezcal a try? Especially since we’re rather keen on the great mezcals, whose aromas we occasionally stumble upon in certain malts or rums. That said, this is only a finishing, but then again so are those famous Lagavulins. Colour: white wine. Nose: very earthy malt, surprising at first, though things begin to settle, even if the whole remains slightly off-kilter, oddly medicinal for now (Alka-Seltzer-style). The idea struck me as brilliant, but for the moment we remain cautious. Some celeriac. With water: washing powder, new jumper, button mushrooms, fresh plaster, sourdough. Mouth (neat): rather a little clashing, to be honest. Peat plus mezcal sounds like a clever idea, but in the glass, it turns a bit dirty, oddly medicinal indeed, with an unusually styled salinity. With water: hold on, not so fast, the water really helps and seems to unite the two spirits, with candied lemon and gentian at the core. That’s more like it. Finish: much better indeed, salty, fresh, earthy, rooty and of course smoky. Comments: my free advice, just add water straightaway and bring it down to 45% vol. Give or take…
SGP:454 - 85 points.

Ardnahoe ‘Bholsa’ (50%, OB, oloroso, 2025)

I mean, it’s matured ‘predominantly’ in oloroso, which does feel a tad lord Black Adder, does it not? A ‘bholsa’, in Gaelic, seems to mean a bag, it may stem from the French word ‘bourse’, or perhaps from the Spanish ‘bolsa’, also meaning bag. Who knows, the ways of distillers are impenetrable… Colour: gold. Nose: but of course. Ardnahoe has been remarkably quick to express its Islayness (aye?) and to make sure its whisky oozes (aye again?) the island. Very fresh, with a nod to its neighbour across from the Paps of Jura, offering peated grist, virgin wool and soot. With water: grapefruit and chalk. Mouth (neat): rather perfect, though absolutely crammed with ashes. With water: the oloroso still sits high, though it’s true there’s only some of it, and only ‘predominantly’. From 51% upwards, that’s predominant, isn’t it? This terminology may go down in the annals of malt whisky history, I tell you (right?) Finish: fresh, long, uplifting and, indeed, exuding Islay. Pears, lemons, oysters and tar in the aftertaste. Comments: I think this is very well done, even if one tends to still lean toward the ‘predominantly natural’ versions.
SGP:456 - 87 points.