Ardnahoe : Infinite Loch

Tasting notes and advice for Ardnahoe Infinite Loch

Tasting

Appearance

Mahogany hue revealing a natural color with no artificial coloring. Bottling without chill filtration preserves the spirit’s visual and aromatic integrity.

Nose

Typically Islay: oily, powerful, and precise. Smoked oysters mingle with tweed, bergamot, and oranges. Sea spray and salty mist combine with island peat and dark chocolate, creating a harmonious base that signals well-controlled complexity.

Palate

Pepper, grapes, green apples, and green olives come through first. Wood-fire embers and smoked fish bring a maritime character, while Christmas spices enrich the whole. Menthol notes and fresh fruit combine with hints of vanilla and caramel sweets from bourbon casks, alongside nuts and tannins.

Pairings and tasting occasions

This very approachable single malt can be enjoyed at any time. Its richness and long finish make it an ideal companion for a contemplative tasting.

Mixology

An exceptional whisky bottled at 50% ABV, we recommend enjoying it neat to fully appreciate its complexity and authentic island character.

A powerful and authentic Islay single malt, Ardnahoe’s first official expression

Ardnahoe: Islay’s ninth distillery carries on the peated tradition

Founded in 2017 by the Hunter Laing family—current owners Stewart Laing and his sons Andrew and Scott—Ardnahoe is Islay’s ninth and most recent distillery, opened in 2019. Located in the northeast of the island near Loch Ardnahoe, it produces 600,000 liters a year with remarkable equipment: a 1920 Bobby mill, stills with Scotland’s longest swan necks (7.5 m), and Islay’s only wooden cooling ponds. Overseen by Jim McEwan, it upholds the island’s peated tradition with long fermentations, bottling at a minimum of 50% ABV, without chill filtration, prioritizing artisanal quality and sustainability.

Infinite Loch: the first official single malt from an exceptional distillery

Infinite Loch is the first official bottling from Ardnahoe distillery, brilliantly following on from its inaugural release. This single malt benefits from exceptional technical methods and aging, which will allow it to establish itself as a benchmark—even on Islay.

Production rests on unique specifics: long fermentations of 70 to 75 hours allowing yeasts to develop full flavors, a unique pair of stills run slowly for greater copper contact, and Scotland’s longest swan necks rising to 7.5 meters. Ardnahoe is the only Islay distillery still using worm tubs, a slow and traditional condensation system with wooden cooling ponds—the island’s only ones.

Fresh water filtered through the peat of Loch Ardnahoe gives the spirit its distinctive character. Annual production capped at 600,000 liters ensures careful attention at every step. Presented in a case, this 70 cl single malt embodies the artisanal excellence of a Scottish distillery with a bright future.