Clydebuilt Sailmaker is the third release in Ardgowan's Clydebuilt series, blending six malt whiskies from Highland, Lowland and Speyside distilleries, all matured in first-fill oloroso sherry casks. Released in August 2022, it quickly proved its quality — winning a Master medal at the 2023 Scotch Whisky Masters, gold at the Scottish Whisky Awards 2022, gold at the World Whisky Awards 2022, and silver from the IWSC 2023.
The award haul validates Max McFarlane's blending expertise. The six component malts — each bringing a different regional character — are unified by the first-fill oloroso maturation, which provides dried fruit, chocolate and festive spice. At 48%, the blend has more body than most competitors at this price, and the quality of the sherry cask procurement is evident.
Sailmaker is the Clydebuilt expression that best demonstrates Ardgowan's blending ambitions. The awards, the consistent quality, and the fair pricing create a blended malt that competes credibly with single malts costing considerably more. One of Scotland's best-value sherried drams.
