AD/ is Ardnamurchan's core no-age-statement expression — the entry point to the distillery's range and the bottle that most drinkers will encounter first. Like the 10 Year Old, it combines peated and unpeated spirit in roughly equal proportions, but the younger casks in the vatting give it a fresher, more vibrant character.
Matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, bottled at 46.8% without chill filtration or colouring, AD/ shares the same specification principles as the age-stated releases. The batch code on each bottle indicates when it was vatted, and the consistency between batches has been impressive for a young distillery still finding its feet.
The nose is coastal and mineral: sea salt, heather, citrus, honey, and a gentle peat smoke that is less defined than the 10 Year Old but equally appealing. The palate brings vanilla, tropical fruit, gentle smoke, barley sweetness, and a maritime salinity that anchors the flavour. The interplay between peated and unpeated is well-judged.
The finish is medium, with smoke, salt, and vanilla fading together. AD/ is an excellent introduction to Ardnamurchan — it captures the distillery's essential character at a lower price point than the 10, and the freshness of the younger spirit gives it an energy that more mature expressions can lack. It is a daily drinker from a distillery that makes daily drinking an event.
