Ardnahoe 6 year old Single Oloroso Cask #82

Profile: The Ardnahoe 6 year old Single Oloroso Cask #82 at a Glance

• Exclusive single cask bottling from Ardnahoe
• Limited to 171 bottles
• Fully matured in a rare Oloroso sherry quarter cask
• Natural: Bottled at cask strength without added coloring or chill filtration

Portrait: What makes the Ardnahoe 6 year old Single Oloroso Cask #82 special

The Ardnahoe 6 year old Single Oloroso Cask #82 is a fine example of how you don't need decades to be taken seriously on Islay. Six years of maturation may still be considered youthful by whisky standards, but this bottling is anything but shy. With a hefty 60.1% ABV, exactly one cask, and a mere 171 bottles, it feels more like a resounding "Here I am!" than a tentative introduction. Behind the name Ardnahoe lies the youngest distillery on the legendary whisky island of Islay.
The first new make spirit flowed from the stills here only in 2019 – coincidentally, in June, the very month in which this cask number 82 was distilled. Ardnahoe is operated by Hunter Laing & Co., a family that has been in the whisky business for generations. Experience is therefore plentiful, even if the buildings still smell of fresh brick and fresh ambition. The distillery is located on the northeast coast of Islay, between Port Askaig and Caol Ila, with a direct view of the sea.
You can hardly distill much closer to the wind, weather, and salty air. Ardnahoe combines classic production methods – including worm tubs – with the ambition to create distinctive whiskies from the very beginning. No copying, but character development from the first minute. Cask No. 82 is an Oloroso Quarter Cask, a cask with a manageable volume of around 50 liters. Such quarter casks are rather rare in the whisky world, as they require more attention and leave little room for error.
This makes them ideal for single-cask bottlings, where every detail counts. Bottled in July 2025, naturally at cask strength and strictly limited.

In short: This Ardnahoe is young, powerful, and rare. Not a mass-produced product, not a compromise – but another chapter in the still young, yet already remarkably self-assured history of an Islay distillery that clearly wants to waste no time.

Cask type: ex-Oloroso Sherry Quarter Cask
Cask No.: #82
Distilled: June 2019 
Bottled: July 2025
Outturn: 171 bottles

Tasting Notes: This is how the Ardnahoe 6 year old Single Oloroso Cask #82 tastes like

• Nose: Robust sherry aromas immediately rise to the nose, accompanied by dark dried fruits such as dates and raisins. These are joined by polished oak, cocoa powder, and a hint of espresso. In the background, maritime aromas emerge, along with a fine, smoky Islay vein that lends depth and structure to the aroma.
• Palate: On the palate, the whisky is full-bodied and intense. Spicy wood notes meet dried fruits, cinnamon, and cloves. Roasted nuts and dark chocolate add further complexity, while the smoke remains subtle yet present, giving the overall impression a distinctive, powerful edge.
• Finish: The finish is long, warming, and dry. Spicy oak, dark cocoa notes, and a hint of leather linger, accompanied by persistent Islay peat. The impressions fade slowly, leaving a lasting, confident impression.