Ardnahoe Distillery
A New Islay Distillery
In May 2024, the ninth and newest distillery on Islay bottled its first release. This new distillery is called Ardnahoe, and their first release - called their inaugural release - is a 5-year-old single malt. It is now on the market and, also unsurprisingly, on my shelf. I mentioned them in an earlier Blog entry (Islay Whisky Region) as a newcomer that filled their first cask on 9th November 2018.
In 2016, the owners revealed plans to build this single malt distillery on Islay to meet rising demand for peated Scotch whisky. Planning permission for the distillery was granted in January 2016. By October 2017, the distillery was under construction. Situated on the island’s east coast, Ardnahoe distillery opened to the public in April 2019. It was the first new whisky distillery to open on Islay for 15 years. From the outset, the owners declared that Ardnahoe would not produce gin, and would not bottle any whisky less than 5 years old.
It is interesting the way that markets and supply chains evolve. In the past, distillers were whisky makers who supplied the blenders and bottlers who in turn supplied the market. William Grant was among the first of the distillers to move up the chain adding blending and bottling to whisky making (see blog about William Grant & Co). They were followed by Springbank distillery who bought the assets of Cadenhead in the 70’s for the same purpose. But as single malt whisky has become more and more popular, the tide has turned, and the blenders and bottlers have started to buy or build distilleries.
Like several whisky blenders and bottlers, the calling of owning a distillery and producing their own is just too strong. Andrew Symington, owner of bottler Signature fame, acquired Edradour. Adelphi built Ardnamurchan. And now Hunter Laing have built Ardnahoe.
The Laing Family
Fred Douglas Laing (FDL) founded Douglas Laing & Co. in 1948 as a blending and bottling business. He started out with little more than a few casks of Blended Scotch Whisky, a recently purchased brand name – King of Scots – and an unyielding desire to succeed. Typical of many of those old characters in the Scotch industry, FDL was "couthy", personable, and commercially astute. His blending skills were self-taught, and through his successes and (occasional) failures, the Whisky Blender’s art was learnt. Fred had 2 sons; Stewart and Fred Jr.
Stewart Hunter Laing was born in 1946 and joined his father’s business in 1967. Throughout the 70’s and the 80’s, Stewart developed the family’s brands and global business.
Fred Laing Jr was born in 1950. He eventually he joined the business as a blender, but FDL was adamant that his son’s mistakes should be made in someone else’s business. And so Fred apprenticed under several Scotch Whisky greats, before joining the family business in 1972.
FDL died in 1982 leaving the business to his two sons. Stewart and Fred Jr ran the business until 2013, gradually moving away from the export blend market to concentrate on specialised single malt bottlings.
In 2013, shock waves went through the Scottish whisky industry when Fred Jr and Stewart split the family business. Fred Jr continued to run Douglas Laing and Co, while Stewart set up Hunter Laing and Co. The split was dubbed a “de-merger” by the brothers and they carved up the brands and the operations between them.
Both companies continued whisky blending and bottling, but for Stewart Laing and his two sons the call of owning a distillery was strong. After 3 years of looking to buy a distillery, they announced plans in 2016 to invest 12 million pounds in the building of Ardnahoe distillery on Islay.
Ardnahoe Whisky
Now 5 years old, having matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry casks, the inaugural release is ready and available. At 50% ABV it is a fine dram.
The nose has shortbread, baked apples and Islay peat. On the palate, you tastes of custard, ginger, lemon zest and baked apples. The after taste is long and smokey. It is a very fine whisky!
At around 85€ per bottle, it is reasonably priced in my view.
But Ardnahoe has now released a core range bottling called Infinite Loch. Also bottled at 50% ABV, this sells for around 60€ per bottle, which is much more reasonable. By the way, 'Infinite Loch' is near the distillery, the name coming from the urban myth that no one knows how deep the Loch is!
Infinite Loch was also matured in a range of ex-Bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks.
Tasting Notes: 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.
It is truly lovely and deserves a place on your shelf!
A New Kind of Brand Ambassador
Ardnahoe Distillery has appointed its first-ever global brand ambassadors: the Scottish folk-rock band, Skerryvore.
As part of the collaboration, Skerryvore will bring whisky tasting sessions to the USA and Europe during their tours, introducing both Ardnahoe and other Hunter Laing & Co. bottlings to a new audience.
Ardnahoe has also revealed plans to release a special 20th-anniversary bottling for Skerryvore next year. Skerryvore, formed on the Isle of Tiree by brothers Daniel and Martin Gillespie in 2004, first took to the stage in 2005.