ARDNAHOE Infinite Loch

Nose is nothing special - a whiff of dry hay barn, a bit of old sawdust, faint mustiness akin an old boatshed fighting the algae. Nothing big and impressive (or expressive), but also nothing detrimental that ruins the sip to follow. Palate is surprisingly full and creamy, coating the tongue and gums from bottom to top in a most pleasant way. Small sips showcase pears and apples before shifting to a pleasing lemonish citrus/ A big sip is a surprising fruit basket of flavors, adding white grapes and honeydew and figs to the apples, pears and citrus. The middle is also more interesting, with that dry barn presence from the nose popping in to nicely contrast the almost oily mouthfeel, and leading to a clean, crisp close with the faintest bit of salted lemon lingering on. Water masks the flavors and the mouthfeel, and I recommend trying this neat. For a NAS from a new distillery, this is surprisingly good. I don't find it as deep and nuanced as the Inaugural Release, and it lacks the smoke of the Bholsa, but it's light and refreshingly good in its own right, and I'm quite interested in seeing what else they bottle in the next five years.

Nose: Nice expected peat/smoke and iodine saltiness. Very welcoming. Palate: candied lemon, ashen smoke, touches of pepper. Finish: more of the ashy bonfire, sea salt, reasonably long. Overall, this is definitely a young Scotch but still a very good one. This has all the Islay touches one would expect but with a really nice candied lemon/citrus that is the standout note for me. Very interesting from a young distiller and one that I will be very interested in seeing how they develop over the coming years.

For a distillery that opened in 2019, this is great stuff! Although the whisky feels young and it doesn’t have the full body of aged Scotch, this is really good! On the nose - vanilla, charred oak, baked apple pie and some medicinal notes. On the palate - honey sweet, charred oak, apple, pear and a marine breeze. The finish is very sweet with a touch of mint. Overall, great dram. I can’t wait for their aged releases.

Nosing and warming the glass, this is smoother and fruitier than the slightly austere inaugural bottling, with lovely balanced peaty, sea spray & salty notes, some black coffee, pepper, cocoa and chocolate, and a hint of chalky oyster shell! Pretty good for an Islay arriviste!

Ya know what, I really rate this. I was semi pressured into buying it in Edinburgh, worried about the 3.7 rating here but it's a nice, straight down the chute Islay. A very young distillery but signs of promise and not at all bothered I have a full bottle to work through.

Big smoky, peaty nose and flavour that develops into vanilla oakiness. Smoke dominates on the finish. Not for the faint hearted, a typical peaty Islay.