Ardnamurchan 9 Year Old 2015 SMWS Single 1st Fill Bourbon Cask 149.20 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2025) 70cl
1 of 215 bottles produced from a single 1st fill bourbon cask
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was founded in Edinburgh in 1983 by Phillip 'Pip' Hills who, while travelling around Scotland in the 1970s, fell in love with whiskies drawn straight from the cask. After he expanded his syndicate the Society was purchased by Glenmorangie PLC in 2004. In 2015, the Society was sold back to private investors. In June 2021, the private owners floated the holding company The Artisanal Spirits Company plc on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange.
It has a unique code system where the first number refers to the distillery and the second refers to the cask from which the bottle comes. SMWS also offers the largest range of distilleries of any independent bottler. These curiously named drams really do have something for every whisky lover!
The SMWS are one of the Britain's most revered independent bottlers with a worldwide network of partner bars with one mission of getting as much whisky at natural cask strength without water to different nations including USA, Canada, Switzerland, UK, Austria, Germany and many others.
TASTING NOTES
This one wore its medicinal qualities on its sleeve: the Panel felt immediately reminded of hospitals, first aid kits and antiseptic. We also noted black forest ham, smoked peppered mackerel and Orkney smoked cheddar. Reduction brought softer coastal tones, with gorse flower, samphire butter, marzipan and waxed hessian. The palate was syrupy and wonderfully thick in texture, with salted toffee, liquorice root, iodine, lovage and malt vinegar on hot, salty chips. Water didn't dislodge the thickness of texture, bringing an impression of tarry notes, wasabi, wood ashes and elements of pear distillate.
About Ardnamurchan
Ardnamurchan is the Highland distillery belonging to revered independent bottlers-turned-distillers, Adelphi. The Adelphi name has a rich history, operating as a distillery in the Gorbals district of Glasgow from 1825, producing spirit from the waters of Loch Katrine. The distillery ceased production in the early 20th century however and several changes in ownership culminating in a takeover by DCL in 1902. The Adelphi name was revived in 1993 by Jamie Walker, great-grandson of former distillery owner Archibald. Ardnamurchan is situated on the most westerly point of the British mainland, and opened in 2014, producing both peated and unpeated single malts.
65% ABV
70cl
