Brand: Ardnahoe Infinite Loch
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS (Probably Around 5 Years)
Age: NAS (Probably Around 5 Years)
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 50%
Maturation: Mix of 1st Fill Bourbon casks (70%) and 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 55-70 (July 2025)
Maturation: Mix of 1st Fill Bourbon casks (70%) and 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 55-70 (July 2025)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 Pleasantly priced. Enjoy it while it lasts!
Buying Advice: 😊 If you like Young Islay this is a good alternative
Colour:
Golden (Natural Color)
Nose:
A Young but certainly not unpleasant Islay nose. Mix Lagavulin, Kilchoman & Caol Ila and you come close to matching this Ardnahoe Infinite nose. The Peat and Smoke are soft and almost elegant. Lots of succulent Malt as well. The influence of the Sherry casks is limited. The Nose is mostly Sweet but also presents some Sour and Bitter notes. All in all a good first impression of this young distillery.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Yeast, Hay, Smoked Fish and Pork on the BBQ, Ashes, Tar, Coastal Peat, Nougat, Puff Pastry filled with Apricot, Lemon, Grapefruit, Sour Berries and Plums, Ginger, Aniseed & Mint.
Buying Advice: 😊 If you like Young Islay this is a good alternative
Colour:
Golden (Natural Color)
Nose:
A Young but certainly not unpleasant Islay nose. Mix Lagavulin, Kilchoman & Caol Ila and you come close to matching this Ardnahoe Infinite nose. The Peat and Smoke are soft and almost elegant. Lots of succulent Malt as well. The influence of the Sherry casks is limited. The Nose is mostly Sweet but also presents some Sour and Bitter notes. All in all a good first impression of this young distillery.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Yeast, Hay, Smoked Fish and Pork on the BBQ, Ashes, Tar, Coastal Peat, Nougat, Puff Pastry filled with Apricot, Lemon, Grapefruit, Sour Berries and Plums, Ginger, Aniseed & Mint.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Honey, Toffee, Dough, Chalk, Soot, Hospital, Dirty Earth, Wet Sand & Rocks, Oak, Herbal Tea, Seville Orange, Unripe Pear, Milk, Petrol Station, Metal, Plastic, Cocoa Powder, Pepper, Cloves, Nutmeg, Wet Forest Floor and Tobacco.
Honey, Toffee, Dough, Chalk, Soot, Hospital, Dirty Earth, Wet Sand & Rocks, Oak, Herbal Tea, Seville Orange, Unripe Pear, Milk, Petrol Station, Metal, Plastic, Cocoa Powder, Pepper, Cloves, Nutmeg, Wet Forest Floor and Tobacco.
Young & Light but certainly well-made. Good cask management. The Alcohol is more present now. On the Palate we find a mix of Bitter, Sweet, Salty, Sour and slightly Burnt notes.
Main Flavours:
Malted Barley, slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Yeast and Dough, Burnt Hay, Factory Smoke, Coastal Peat, Soot, Tar, Iodine, Ashes, Seville Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Ginger and Licorice.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Honey, Herbal Tea, Unripe Pear, Sour Berries & Plums, Seaweed, Forest Floor, Wet Rocks and Sand, Metal, Plastic, Petrol Station, Nougat, Black Olives, Menthol and Mint, Tobacco, Leather, Pork and (Shell) Fish on the BBQ and Peanut Butter.
Malted Barley, slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Yeast and Dough, Burnt Hay, Factory Smoke, Coastal Peat, Soot, Tar, Iodine, Ashes, Seville Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Ginger and Licorice.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Honey, Herbal Tea, Unripe Pear, Sour Berries & Plums, Seaweed, Forest Floor, Wet Rocks and Sand, Metal, Plastic, Petrol Station, Nougat, Black Olives, Menthol and Mint, Tobacco, Leather, Pork and (Shell) Fish on the BBQ and Peanut Butter.
Finish:
Young, Middle-Long, slightly Thin and a little Harsh. The Alcohol is more noticeable now. A mix of Bitter, Sweet, Sour and Burnt notes. Clearly the weakest part of this Ardnahoe. Quite Dry in the end. I find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Hay, Dough, Yeast, Chalk, Dirty Smoke, Coastal Peat, Hospital, Soot, Ashes, Tar, Wet Sand and Rocks, Metal, Petrol Station, Plastic, Lemon, Grapefruit, Seville Orange, Black Olives, Herbal Tea, Nougat, Licorice, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, slightly Burnt Meat on the BBQ, Leather, Tobacco, slightly Burnt Biscuits, Dusty Oak and After Eight Chocolates.
Young, Middle-Long, slightly Thin and a little Harsh. The Alcohol is more noticeable now. A mix of Bitter, Sweet, Sour and Burnt notes. Clearly the weakest part of this Ardnahoe. Quite Dry in the end. I find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Hay, Dough, Yeast, Chalk, Dirty Smoke, Coastal Peat, Hospital, Soot, Ashes, Tar, Wet Sand and Rocks, Metal, Petrol Station, Plastic, Lemon, Grapefruit, Seville Orange, Black Olives, Herbal Tea, Nougat, Licorice, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, slightly Burnt Meat on the BBQ, Leather, Tobacco, slightly Burnt Biscuits, Dusty Oak and After Eight Chocolates.
Drinking Advice:
Despite the high ABV, there is surprisingly no need for added Water here. At the same time I think that an ABV of around 46% would serve this Ardnahoe well.
Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)
Nose: 8 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 6.5
*** Important Note with respect to Rating.
If the Final score is around 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.
Conclusion:
Ardnahoe was founded in 2017 and is owned by Independent Bottler Hunter Laing & Company. It's the only distillery on Islay that uses Wooden Worm Tubs. Around 90% of the production is peated (Around 40 PPM). Its is beautifully located with a breathtaking view on the Sound of Islay and the isle of Jura. The Infinite Loch is the current core expression and was launched in the autumn of 2024. It is named after the lake on Islay.
This is my first Ardnahoe and I'm pleasantly surprised. It's Young of course and a little Thin and I would argue that the ABV is slightly too high. But it's well-made and I have no issue with the casks used. It's only in the Finish that you notice that this distillery is not quite there yet. But they are certainly on the right track and, for the time being, pleasantly priced. I wish Ardnahoe all the best & look forward to enjoy a fully matured Single Malt of this distillery in the future.
Cheers! 🥃
Jan van den Ende July 30, 2025