Description

Ardnamurchan AD/ Madeira Cask (2025 Release) Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Volume: 700ml            ABV: 52%           Age: No Age Statement           Country: Scotland

The Whisky

The Ardnamurchan AD/Madeira Cask (2025 Release) is a masterful demonstration of Highland craft, representing the second time this remote peninsula distillery has explored the sun-drenched influence of Madeira wine. Bottled at a robust 52% alc/vol, this 2025 limited edition is a complex vatting of 43% peated and 57% unpeated spirit, all distilled in 2018. The whisky began its journey in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels before being re-racked into savoury Madeira hogsheads for a transformative two year finishing period.

What makes this bottling a “must-have” for 2025 is the meticulous integration of Ardnamurchan’s rugged, coastal DNA with the syrupy, nut-forward profile of the Madeira casks. With only 19,598 bottles produced globally, this release sits just shy of 7 years old and remains un-chill filtered and naturally colored. It is a “coastal Madeira bomb” that offers a significant departure from the distillery’s standard sherry-led releases, leaning instead into red fruits, dry spices, and an elegant, wispy smoke.

Our Tasting Notes

Nose: A rich, confectionary opening of cocoa powder and sugared almonds, quickly followed by the warmth of bread and butter pudding dusted with nutmeg. As the dram breathes, deep notes of stewed plums and redcurrants emerge, layered over a subtle, earthy base of sandalwood and damp bracken.

Palate: The mouthfeel is oily and sophisticated. Initial flavours of cinnamon sweets and toffee apple are balanced by a savoury, herbal edge of rosemary stalks and cedar bark. Mid palate, a “trail mix” of salted nuts and chocolate chips develops, punctuated by a gentle, peppery peat smoke that never dominates the delicate strawberry fruit notes.

Finish: Medium to long and pleasantly dry. The finish is “dusty” and elegant, leaving behind lingering echoes of dark chocolate chips, dried berries, and a final, mineral rich puff of maritime smoke.

The Distillery

The Ardnamurchan Distillery, situated at the most westerly point of the British mainland, is widely considered the gold standard for the “new wave” of sustainable Scotch whisky. Opened in 2014 by independent bottlers Adelphi, the distillery is entirely powered by local renewable energy, including a hydro-electric generator on the river and a biomass boiler fueled by local woodchips. A unique factual detail: every bottle features a blockchain-secured QR code, allowing customers to trace the liquid’s entire journey from the specific barley field to the individual who bottled it. Their stills are designed to produce a “baby Brora” style of spirit—oily, coastal, and slightly funky—which has earned them a cult following among the world’s most discerning whisky geeks.

Overall Review

The 2025 Madeira Cask is a superb balancing act that plays the palate like a pinball machine, bouncing between jammy red fruits and rugged coastal smoke. Critics have hailed it as an essential first purchase of the year, offering incredible complexity and value for a distillery bottled limited release.