New cats, Wolfburn vs. Ardnamurchan

March 31, 2015

New cats, Wolfburn vs. Ardnamurchan
The northernmost distillery on the Scottish mainland vs. the westernmost distillery, that should be fun. But these will be new makes or BPS, so I’m afraid we just won’t score them. That would be stupid if you ask me.

Wolfburn 20 mo 2013/2014 'Inaugural Release' (46%, OB, Swiss import, British plain spirit)

Wolfburn 20 mo 2013/2014 'Inaugural Release' (46%, OB, Swiss import, British plain spirit) Wolfburn Distillery, in Thurso, make unpeated malt whisky. (A bit) sadly this not-quite-whisky-yet was reduced to 46% vol. and matured in ex-Laphroaig quarter cask, so I’m not totally sure we’ll manage to get a perfect grasp of Wolfburn’s style, as Laphroaig can be very, say ‘invading’, even when in very small proportions. Just ask the blenders! Colour: pale white wine. Nose: the pears are plentiful, and great news, Laphroaig has good manners here, so the smokiness is rather minimal. Drops of lapsang souchong? There are also touches of rubber and butter, as usual in very young whiskies, and maybe a little pineapple. A pleasant, gentle spirit altogether. I especially enjoy the whiffs of damp earth and roots that arise after a few minutes, as well as the very tiny touches of rubbed mint leaves.

Mouth: there’s rather more smoke now, while the body remains fairly delicate, certainly not fat. There’s something that reminds me of Glenmorangie, perhaps. Blood oranges, pears, pineapples (but not too much of that), barley water, and very few rubbery/feinty notes, which is quite an achievement at such young age. Finish: rather short, a little more citrusy. Maybe something very faintly medicinal in the aftertaste, but that might be Laphroaig. There’s also more smoke and ashes, more lapsang souchong. Comments: a sweet and easy profile that should be ready quite early in my opinion. SGP:533

Ardnamurchan 2015 new make (63%, sample, 2015)

Ardnamurchan 2015 new make (63%, sample, 2015) This is Adelphi’s distillery, which started distilling last year. It’s located on the shores of Loch Sunart. This is unpeated newmake, but Ardnamurchan does (or should do) both unpeated and peated. Oh and the spirit still is more or less twice as large as Wolfburn’s. Colour: white. Nose: it’s obviously rougher than the Wolfburn, but remember this is new make, and at a much higher strength (not natural though, it’s been reduced a bit).

Having said that, it seems to be a fatter spirit, more ‘congeneric’, with more meaty/waxy notes, more earth and farmy notes, quite some mushrooms and humus… I also find a little tincture of iodine. I really enjoy this, it’s not unlike some gentler… mezcal (that would have been distilled at Clynelish, ha-ha). Hurray! Mouth: a little more difficult to enjoy, but that’s the strength. A lot of sweet barley and pear bonbons. With water (down to +/-46%): some wax comes out, together with tinned fruits and most certainly several kinds of oranges. A little Schweppes-Orange, perhaps. Finish: quite long, mostly on oranges, with a little linseed oil. Comments: so indeed, a fatter style, but it’s hard to compare it with the Wolfburn since that one came ‘with Laphroaig inside’, and was twenty months older. SGP:451