Ardgowan is a distillery that does not yet exist — at least not in bricks and copper. The Inverclyde site has been in planning for years, but in the meantime, Master Whisky Maker Max McFarlane has been building Ardgowan's reputation through the Clydebuilt series: blended malts assembled from casks sourced across Scotland. Anchorsmith is the penultimate release in the collection, and it is comfortably the most sherried.
Six whiskies from Lowland, Speyside, and Highland distilleries have been married together, each matured in first-fill oloroso sherry casks. The result is a blended malt that leans heavily into dried fruit and dark chocolate territory, bottled at 46% without chill filtration. McFarlane's cask selection is the star here — the sherry influence is generous but never extractive, a balancing act that plenty of single malt producers fail to achieve.
The nose is rich and inviting: black cherries, lemon drizzle cake, chocolate raisins, sticky figs and dates, and a curious sesame oil note that adds depth. The palate is full-bodied and plummy, awash with ripe dark fruits, roast chestnuts, pomegranate juice, and a suggestion of overripe banana. It is a big, warm, generous whisky — the sort that fills a room.
The finish is long and lightly tannic, with Earl Grey tea and orange marmalade trailing off elegantly. For a whisky assembled from six different sources, the integration is remarkable. When Ardgowan's own spirit finally comes of age, it will have to contend with the standard Max McFarlane has set here.
