Hunter Laing & Co, has today announced the launch of the
inaugural release from its Islay based Ardnahoe Distillery.
Ardnahoe Inaugural Release (50% ABV) is a limited-edition 5
Year Old single malt Scotch whisky, which has been matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon
and ex-Oloroso Sherry casks.
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| Ardnahoe Inaugural Release |
Six decades after Stewart Laing first learned how to make whisky on Islay, he and his sons Andrew and Scott are celebrating a lifelong family dream come true with the release of the first whisky from Ardnahoe.
Stewart travelled to Islay in the 1960s to learn the ropes
of whisky-making, an experience that sowed the seeds of a dream – the idea of
building a distillery on the Hebridean island. That dream came to fruition in
2018 as Ardnahoe started distilling and became the ninth distillery on the
island, just a few years after Stewart and his sons founded Hunter Laing &
Co as an independent whisky blender and bottler.
Ardnahoe’s debut whisky was created using traditional
methods under the watch of distillery manager Fraser Hughes. Soft peated Islay
loch water is drawn from nearby Loch Ardnahoe, while the distillery uniquely
uses two traditional worm-tub condensers. The distillery’s malted barley, which
is sourced from Port Ellen Maltings on Islay’s south coast.
With Islay peat smoke on the nose, custard, ginger, lemon
zest and baked apples on the palate and a long, smoky finish, the Inaugural
Release is said to be a classic sophisticated Islay single malt.
Commenting on the launch, Stewart Laing, Managing Director
at Hunter Laing & Co, said: “Building our own distillery was a hugely
important and long dreamed of step and it’s been a personal ambition of mine
ever since I was posted to work on Islay at Bruichladdich back in the 1960s.
From finding the perfect piece of land on Islay for the distillery back in 2015
to now seeing our first whisky released, it’s truly the culmination of a
lifelong dream for the Laing family.”
Ardnahoe Inaugural Release, will be available from May 10th,
direct from the distillery and specialist retailers, for a RRP of £70.00.
Posted by Steve Rush