Ardnahoe Infinite Loch

Tasting Notes

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: malty, maritime, and smoky with juicy fruit; dark baker's chocolate; firm earthy peat, tarry ropes, fresh whipped cream, and lemon squares; a tad on the seafoody side, bright and floral.

Palate: malty, honeyed, and fruity with tarry peat; dried apple chunks, candied lemon peel, and watermelon candies; a touch vegetal, with a faint hint of wasabi; firm woody spices: fennel, clove, and anise; smoked eel, steemed mussles, and candied jalapeno. 

Finish: lush, malty, and creamy with tarry smoke; more fading seafood and firm woody spice.

Comment: if you like em peaty, drink em young; following in the footsteps of the young Ardbegs of the mid-2000s, and the Kilchomans of the 2010s, this whisky punches well above its age; if you're a peathead, this one ticks all the boxes.

Producer Tasting Note

"Sea-spray, Islay peat and dark chocolate on the nose. Menthol, fresh fruits and bonfire notes on the palate lead into a smoky, zesty finish."

88pts Whisky Fun

"This is the third release from Ardnahoe, with the first two being very much to my taste. For a distillery, an 'infinite' loch can only be a blessing, even on Islay, if you recall the droughts of the late 1960s that forced distilleries to shut down. Here, Ardnahoe evokes a loch infinite in its depths, though as long as they don’t start conjuring up Ardbeg-style legends, we’re safe—no sixteen-armed freshwater octopus or Islay Nessie, thankfully! Colour: pale gold. Nose: incredible, I find it very ‘West Coast’ as well as distinctly Islay. In short, West of Scotland, East of Islay. There’s a slightly oily, robust quality, yet with the grace and precision of a gymnast. Smoked oysters are very present, perhaps some mussels too, crabs from the Sound, seaweed, followed by bergamot, oranges, wet chalk, and clay... With water: more wet chalk and that famous old tweed jacket from the Islay Woollen Mill, one that’s seen plenty of rain, storms, and vintages. Mouth (neat): this is superb. Green pepper, oranges, grapefruits, seafood, lightly oily smoke, almonds, green apples, sushi, and a hint of green olive... With water: a few more spices, cinnamon, turmeric, a touch of ginger, and then some Kildalton tar. Finish: long, salty, somewhat rich and oily, with more smoked fish. Comments: while it can’t quite match the surprise of the Inaugural Release, this first ‘regular’ version is rather brilliant. I’ll add that it only needs a drop of water—best not to drown it. SGP:557 – 88 points."

Distillery

Much of this write-up is blatantly copied and pasted from a blog post Evan wrote for Day 4 of the 2024 KWM. If you wish to experience a strong sense of déjà vu, you can read that post here.

Ardnahoe is the youngest of 10 currently operating distilleries on Islay to have released whisky. Below are all the currently operating Islay Distilleries as of December 2024, listed based on founding date:

1. Bowmore — 1779
2. Ardbeg — 1815
3. Lagavulin — 1816
4. Laphroaig — 1820
5. Caol Ila – 1846
6. Bunnahabhain — 1880
7. Bruichladdich — 1881
8. Kilchoman — 2005
9. Ardnahoe — 2019
10. Port Ellen – 1825 / 2024

Port Ellen has yet to have whisky releases from its newly (re)built operation, though you can find some of their pre-1983 closure 40+ year old Single Malt Scotch around if you have the money for it… Perhaps the Port Ellen story is one we will get to delve into on a future KWM Not an Advent Calendar Tasting blog post a few years from now.

Not listed, but hopefully soon to be finished construction is Portintruan Distillery. This Islay distillery was expected to begin production in late 2024. Unfortunately, the construction company in charge of the build for this new Islay distillery entered receivership in September 2024 which has put at least a temporary wrench in the works. Hopefully, things will get sorted and back on track for Portintruan soon.

Let's get back to Ardnahoe. The distillery resides on the North East Coast of Islay. It is about a 10-minute drive North from Caol Ila distillery and also the Port Askaig ferry landing. Bunnahabhain distillery is a 5-minute drive away to the North. The Isle of Jura and its famous Paps can be seen from Ardnahoe Distillery on clear-ish days, lying just to the east across the Sound of Islay; the straight of seawater that separates Islay and Jura.

Ardnahoe Distillery is owned by indie bottler Hunter Laing – a company which has an interesting history.

Hunter Laing was founded in 2013 by chairman Stewart Hunter Laing and his sons Andrew and Scott. Hunter Laing came to being from a dividing of assets owned by the company Douglas Laing & Co, which Stewart and his brother Fred Laing Jr. had operated together since Fred Laing Sr. – their father passed away in 1984.

(Stewart Laing (middle) with his sons' Andrew (left) and Scott (right)).

Three years after the split, in 2016, Hunter Laing announced plans for an Islay Distillery. After planning and construction, the company’s Ardnahoe distillery officially opened in 2019.

Stewart Laing wanted to build and shape Ardnahoe around the idea of creating a peaty but fruit-driven whisky style that would age gracefully in both ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks, with an eye, especially towards Oloroso Sherry cask aging. To this end, Ardnahoe’s distillation has a few features that set it apart from other Islay distilleries. These include the surprisingly long lyne arms that descend on a very gradual slope, carrying spirit vapour from the pot stills, to the waiting worm tub condensers 24.5 feet (7.47 metres) away.

Does this combination of the longest lyne arms in Scotland plus worm tubs lead to a fruity, meaty whisky? You may just have to buy a bottle of Ardnahoe Single Malt Scotch to find out!

Independent Bottler

Yes, these are two separate companies, but it is difficult to talk about one without talking about the other. So, let's kill two birds with one stone, shall we? - Evan

The Hatfields & McCoys. The Montagues and Capulets. The Laings and... The Laings?

History is full of family feuds. It is also full of long-running game shows promoting the vicious rivalry. Sometimes, though, a family doesn't need to have an outside influence to struggle against because the issue lies within.

The History

Douglas Laing is an independent bottler that was founded in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing after he acquired the rights to the King Of Scots Blend. Fred Sr. and his wife had two sons. Stewart Hunter Laing was born in 1946. Fred Hamilton Laing (Fred Jr.) was born in 1950. Both brothers eventually joined Fred Sr. working at Douglas Laing. Before that though, they both had apprenticeships at other Scotch Whisky companies; something that seems to be a hallmark of families who make Scotch Whisky their trade.

Stewart Laing joined his father Fred Sr. at Douglas Laing in 1967. He had previously apprenticed at Bruichladdich Distillery and other places within the industry. Stewart and his wife had their first son, Scott, in 1979. A few years later in 1982, their second son Andrew was born.

Fred Laing Jr's first apprenticeship was at Whyte and Mackay starting in 1968, where he learned all parts of whisky production and business, including the art of blending. From there he moved to White Horse Distillers in 1969 to further enhance his blending knowledge. In 1972, he officially joined his Father, Fred Sr., at the family business of Douglas Laing. In 1982, Fred Jr's daughter Cara was born.

Fred Sr., AKA Fred Douglas Laing; the founder of Douglas Laing & Co, passed away in 1984. It was then up to his sons to run the company on their own.

Splitting The Family Company

Brothers' Stewart and Fred Jr. quietly – or not so quietly – didn’t really get along. This eventually led the two to go their separate ways in 2013. Stewart Laing took with him some brands created at his former company such as Old Malt Cask and Old & Rare. Fred Laing Jr. kept the Douglas Laing and brands such as Big Peat, Old Particular, and of course, the exclusive rights to his fabulous moustache.

Fred Laing Jr. & daughter Cara Laing - the new Douglas Laing

Douglas Laing continued on, operating under Fred Jr's stewardship to this day. They have created some new labels since, focusing more on the Blends and Blended Malt side of things than Hunter Laing typically does. Fred Laing was joined by his daughter Cara at about the same time as the split.

Douglas Laing does bottle single casks of whisky under the Provenance, Old Particular and XOP labels. However, with Fred Jr's knowledge in blending and the brand King of Scots still in hand, the company has kept a big focus on blending, introducing an entire line of regional blended malts over the late 2010s. The company has dubbed this lineup The Remarkable Regional Malts of Scotland. These include:

• Big Peat - a blended malt made entirely of single malts from Islay
• Scallywag - representing the Speyside region
• Rock Island (originally named Rock Oyster) - made from malts from the Inner Hebridean Isles of Skye, Mull, Jura, Islay, with the Orkneys and Arran thrown in just for kicks
• Timorous Beastie - name taken from a Robert Burns poem with malt selected from Highland distilleries
• The Gauldrons - featuring a blend of Campbeltown malts
• The Epicurean - representing the dapper Lowland malts

The Douglas Laing company announced the acquisition of its first distillery in October 2019. The Strathearn Distillery, founded in 2013, is located near Methven in Perthshire. Technically located in the Southern Highlands, it is near the lowlands region and about an hour and a half drive from Douglas Laing's headquarters in Glasgow. 

Stewart Laing & sons Scott and Andrew Laing form Hunter Laing

Hunter Laing was founded in 2013 by chairman Stewart Hunter Laing and his sons Andrew and Scott. Hunter Laing came to being from a dividing of assets owned by the company Douglas Laing & Co, which Stewart and his brother Fred Laing Jr. had operated together since Fred Laing Sr. – their father passed away in 1984.

The new company has more of a focus on Single Malt Whisky and often single casks than Douglas Laing, with new releases under Old Malt Cask, Old & Rare, Sovereign, The First Editions, and Hepburn's Choice hitting store shelves periodically. Regular releases as well as the mystery peated Islay Single Malt under the name Scarabus are also consistently available. Oh, and Hunter Laing also bottles rum under the wonderfully silly moniker Kill Devil.

Three years after the split, in 2016, Hunter Laing announced plans to build a distillery on Islay. The company’s Ardnahoe Distillery officially opened in 2019. The first Single Malt whisky releases from Ardnahoe hit shelves in 2024.

It is now more than a decade since Stewart and Fred Laing split the business and their progeny joined them in earnest. The brothers and their respective companies of Hunter Laing and Douglas Laing still show much of the whisky DNA that their father built into it, and them.