Ardnamurchan "ArdnAmerica" Tour bottling 2024 & RMW Ardnamurchan 7yo Cask #1328

Ardnamurchan "ArdnAmerica" Tour bottling 2024

Region: Highlands

ABV: 57.3%

Price: $90.00

This is the second “ArdnAmerica” release—a small batch bottling for the US market. It’s a mix of two peated Madeira-finished barriques and one unpeated Oloroso sherry butt. A total of 900 bottles were released.

Nose

The nose opens with nutty, dry sherry aromas of salted pistachios, walnuts, a little beef jerky, light wisps of earthy smoke, a little charred wood, plum sauce and beetroot crisps. It's quite a punchy nose, more savoury than sweet, with the backbone of smoke to keep it interesting. The alcohol is in good balance though, not too easily detectable. Going back, we're finding bruised mint leaves, crushed star anise, grilled strawberries and some red currants hiding in the background too.   

Palate

The palate opens with a hit of brown sugar, quickly followed by candied almonds and cashews, moving into a drier flavour of charred leaves and finishing on some salted caramel sauce. There's a good amount of wine influence here, again, more on the drier, savourier side of the flavour spectrum. The mouthfeel is great, very viscous and textured, and the finish does linger for a good length, cough syrup, crushed black pepper and clove spice. There's also some warm ginger here, but it's more of the ginger skin rather than flesh. Dark chocolate also makes an appearance, alongside some overroasted coffee beans.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose opens with barbecue smoke now, grilled meats, sweet brown sugar glaze on ribs, alongside some softer fruits that have begun to appear. Fresh strawberry and sweetened ginger ale start to appear now, and overall the dram has lost some of the harsher burnt aromas whilst still maintaining a peaty backbone.  

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate opens with sultanas, dark chocolate nibs, spent coffee grounds, a little sour grape and walnuts. There's definitely more sherry wood influence now, less spirit character in our opinion. The mouthfeel has stayed consistent - very good, and the finish sticks around for a good length still with more earthy smoke and a little salted caramel.

Conclusion

Earthy, meaty, salty, sherried, ticking the boxes of a lot of whisky drinkers we know. We enjoyed the whisky, it's well made, good wood and has quite a lot of complex flavours and aromas going on. For us, we'd have liked a little more sweetness to offset some of the savoury notes, but that's personal preference. We're somewhere between a 7.5 and 8, but a drop of water helps push this up the rankings.

Score: 8/10

Value

Cask strength Ardnamurchan for $90? That’s not a bad deal at all.

RMW Ardnamurchan 7yo Cask #1328

Region: Highlands

ABV: 60.3%

Price: £84.95

Distilled in 2016 and matured for 7 years in a Sherry hogshead, this whisky was bottled in October 2024. A total of 321 bottles were released as an Exclusive for Royal Mile Whiskies. 

Nose

The nose opens with lemon balm, peach flesh, artificial strawberry aromas, and a hint of saltwater. There's a sourness here, not in a bad way, but more than just citrus, think slightly fermented fruits. Going back, we're getting some brown sugar, light cinnamon notes and a little hint of jarred roasted red peppers. The alcohol is impressively well integrated for 60%, there's no issue with us getting deep into the glass. 

Palate

The palate opens with a lovely thick texture, and we're getting fudge brownies, raspberry coulis, creamy custard, and a sprinkling of sea salt. It's quite interesting, it's not overtly sherry forward, but there's some cinnamon sugar doughnuts and a handful of candied cashews giving it hints of the fortified wine. Going back, we're getting more toffee notes, brown bread, grape must and light raisin flavours. The alcohol is a bit more apparent on the palate, with spicy ginger and a bit of black pepper coming through.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose is a little funkier, a little more nutty sherry, savourier, some dehydrated meat too. There's still a lot of sweetness, a lot of vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon and some cake batter too. The citrus notes are still present but have definitely fallen into the background.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate feels a little fruiter, orange peel, some orchard fruits, a little mango too. There's still a real salty spirit character that's permeating through the dram, but it feels lighter, fruiter and sweeter overall.

Conclusion

A good example of 7 years in sherry without overpowering the spirit character of a distillery. It's got a balance of spirit, wood and wine which makes for a very enjoyable dram. It's a tad spicy in places, but it's quite drinkable, even at 60% ABV.

Score: 7.5/10

Value

This is in line with the pricing for Ardnamurchan single casks.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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