Inside The Ardnahoe Whisky Distillery With Andrew Laing

Few whisky areas maintain the mystique and custom of Islay, the place each dram appears to hold the essence of the island’s wild, windswept magnificence. There’s something about Islay whisky that holds attract for each whisky drinkers and makers. Maybe for either side it’s the identical factor; the mix of distinctive options that make a particular and iconic drink. For one facet it’s the possibility to make it, for the opposite the possibility to eat it. Regardless of being the second smallest area by space and simply 25 miles lengthy, Islay is residence to 10 operational distilleries (with extra on the way in which).

This yr Ardnahoe turned the most recent distillery to introduce its take on Islay whisky to the world. I used to be lucky sufficient to make the pilgrimage to this iconic whisky area earlier in 2024 and met Andrew Laing and the staff behind the implausible new whisky.

The Latest Whisky From Islay

Hunter Laing & Co. based Ardnahoe in 2018, making it the newest distillery to hitch the elite ranks of Islay distilleries which can be releasing their distinctive whisky fashion to the world. These eager scotch followers amongst you could bear in mind Port Ellen opened earlier this yr too, however we’ve just a few years to attend earlier than we get the possibility to pattern the reborn model of that whisky.

The worldwide renown of Islay as a whisky making area stretches again to the prohibition period. Previous to prohibition the placement had already made it a handy location for exporting scotch overseas. Then the distinctive fashion leant to it being described as “medicinal,” which helped get the bottles into prohibition America. The basic Islay fashion has remained massively well-liked by way of to now and the staff behind Ardnahoe are eager to introduce their tackle the basic to the world.

“Coming from our background as blenders and impartial bottlers, we have now over the many years acquired an understanding of what we really feel makes the perfect Islay single malt whisky,” Andrew Laing, Ardnahoe Export Director defined to me over e mail. “It was our founder Stewart’s dream to supply his most popular fashion of spirit, which might mature nicely in each bourbon and sherry – notably oloroso – casks.”

The Laing’s, who’re the founders of the distillery, have household connections to Islay that stretch again to the 1700s, and so the placement simply felt proper once they had been in search of a location. “Islay’s whiskies and distilleries are rightly held in very excessive regard so we had been desperate to take our place amongst them.” 

The Solely Distillery On Islay To Use Worm Tubs

There aren’t any precise worms, or tubs filled with worms, utilized in making scotch! Worm Tub is the title for a selected sort of condenser used within the whisky making course of. It’s merely a protracted copper tube coiled spherical itself and immersed in a picket tub filled with water.

Only a few scotch distilleries nonetheless use them as a result of in addition to being massive, they’re thought-about notoriously troublesome to grasp, in addition to being costly to run and keep. How the spirit is condensed again to liquid throughout distillation has an affect on the ultimate whisky, and worm tubs impart notes the the Ardnahoe staff had been eager to attain.

“We consider they create added depth of taste and complexity to the spirit and that that is evident in our inaugural launch,” mentioned Andrew Laing.

The additional depth is a results of worm tubs condensing the spirits slowly. The slower course of offers extra contact with the copper and imparts stronger, meatier flavors to the whisky. It additionally permits the whisky to retain sulfur compounds. Don’t fear although, sulfur has a foul fame however the good sulfur compounds created by worm tubs will help create nice whisky. That’s as a result of throughout maturation they work together with the wooden of the cask to create sweeter notes of butterscotch and toffee.

Ardnahoe’s Inaugural Launch Is Accessible Now

The positioning for the Ardnahoe distillery was purchased in 2016 with work starting in 2017 and spirit lastly working from the stills in late 2018. Persistence has been obligatory however the impartial bottler expertise seems to be at play of their inaugural launch: a 5 yr previous age assertion is fairly uncommon for a distillery’s core launch however the staff had been decided that relatively than aiming for an arbitrary age, they wished to create the perfect whisky they may.

“We at all times agreed that we might by no means rush the discharge of our first Ardnahoe whisky and that the whisky would inform us when it was prepared,” Andrew defined after I requested in regards to the selection of age for his or her first launch. “In latest months it turned obvious that the maturity of the whisky had developed to the purpose that the peaty and fruity traits of the distillate had been in good steadiness with the affect from the bourbon and sherry casks during which it has been matured. We lastly knew we might create an inaugural launch to be pleased with.”

Within the bottle design you’ll be able to see parts of the impartial bottler roots as nicely. The distinctive form can be nonetheless roughly classical, as is the dedication to in depth particulars on the label and the adherence to an age assertion. I’ve seen a shift away from age statements throughout numerous distilleries; Macallan is an apparent one, but additionally the likes of the award successful Glenglassaugh Sandend. So I’m curious to see what comes subsequent from this new distillery on previous shoulders.

I used to be fortunate sufficient to obtain a pattern bottle of Ardnahoes new whisky and whereas I don’t do tasting notes, I can truthfully say it was an excellent dram. Arguably the second launch is much more vital than the primary for a budding model as they construct a following, and so I sit up for seeing their subsequent releases.

The Longest Lyne Arms In Scotland

Ardnahoe’s dedication to utilizing uncommon methods like worm tubs and investing within the longest lyne arms in Scotland offers its whisky a rare depth and complexity—one thing even seasoned whisky drinkers will discover distinctive.

The lyne arm, or lye pipe, is the copper tube that connects the nonetheless to the condenser—in Ardnahoe’s case their worm tubs. The angle of the lyne arm is understood to have a big affect on the spirit produced, by rising or reducing the “reflux.” Upward angled lyne arms encourage extra “reflux” which is the place the condensed spirit trickles again into the nonetheless making a lighter spirit, whereas downward angled ones encourage “carryover” the place a better proportion goes straight to the condenser.

Ardnahoe makes use of a descending system however their lyne arms are additionally the longest in Scotland. “We opted for lengthy lyne arms to present us extra copper contact in vapor type, which has the additional advantage of various taste profiles relying on the way you run the stills.”

Ardnahoe Distillery Was Based By Unbiased Bottlers

With roots stretching again many years as impartial bottlers, the Laing household’s long-standing dream of contributing their very own whisky to Islay’s legacy lastly turned actuality with Ardnahoe. Islay’s newest distillery was based by Stewart Laing, of Hunter Laing & Co., who’re Glasgow primarily based impartial bottlers. The household can hint its business roots to 1949 when Stewart’s father based a whisky mixing firm. Stewart joined in 1964 following tenure on the Bruichladdich distillery, the place the younger Stewart fell in love with the basic Islay whisky fashion. They turned their hand to impartial bottling within the late Nineteen Nineties with the basic “Outdated Malt Cask” sequence.

Stewart Laing spent the intervening 60 years constructing a wealth of expertise as an impartial bottler. “Stewart has dreamed of opening a distillery since he labored at Bruichladdich as a young person within the Nineteen Sixties,” defined Andrew Laing after I requested in regards to the choice so as to add a distillery to the corporate. “This inaugural launch from Ardnahoe Distillery brings that lifelong dream to fruition.”

From Ardnahoe’s inaugural launch drinkers can anticipate a whisky that marries peat and fruit in excellent concord, with delicate notes of butterscotch and toffee due to its maturation in bourbon and sherry casks. Whether or not you’re a long-time Islay fanatic or new to the area’s whiskies, Ardnahoe’s first launch affords an opportunity to expertise Islay’s latest expression firsthand.