Our Whisky Ladies sessions are curated by our members. The theme, the order, everything is up to our monthly host. The only “rule” is to make every effort to avoid repeats! It could be a vertical progression from one distillery, a regional or country theme, something more fanciful or practical, tying the whiskies together.

For our (hopefully!) annual weekend retreat, our host took a delightfully simple approach – the alphabet! And selected whiskies starting with A, B, and C!

A = Ardnahoe “Infinite Loch” Islay Single Malt 50% £55
B = Benromach 15-year 43% £73
C = Creag Isle 10-year Island Malt 42.2% (Hunter Laing) ~£50

It was a counterintuitive tasting order. Normally, we begin with the milder drams, progressing to bolder, more powerful flavours and finishing with peat. We took the opposite approach here – and it worked wonderfully!

A is for Ardnahoe

I was first introduced to their whisky range in 2024 at the London Whisky Show. Backed by Hunter Laing, Ardnahoe became Islay’s 9th distillery in 2016 with distillation starting in 2018.

Ardnahoe “Infinite Loch” Islay Single Malt 50%

Aroma – Loads of peat! Leather and bacon, fruity – particularly baked pineapple, spicy, marmalade with generous orange peel… Spiced pears, cinnamon, star anise, menthol
Palate – Super peppery at first, also very active – full of smoke, yet also quite fruity and summery, the mint was joined by fresh cucumber, then shifted into a gentle milk chocolate
Finish – Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, burnt sweet spices

As we swirled the whisky in our glasses, we inhaled the sweet, smoky aromas, joined by sea salt too. It grew on us more and more – a sipping dram to settle down with for a desultory evening.

In front of us was an indulgent cheeseboard with bitter marmalade jam and apple-gin jelly. We found a sharp cheese with bitter marmalade jam made a brilliant contrasting pairing with the Ardnahoe, enhancing the whisky’s sweetness. Superb!

Their official tasting notes share:

Ardnahoe Infinite Loch has been matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks, and is bottled with no artificial colouring and no chill-filtration.

Sea-spray, Islay peat and dark chocolate on the nose. Menthol, fresh fruits and bonfire notes on the palate lead into a smoky, zesty finish.

Would we agree? Yes indeed!

B is for Benromach

Up next was a familiar standard – the Benromach 15 year!

Benromach 15 year 43%

Aroma – Sweet molasses, dark milk chocolate, honey, raisins, Christmas plum cakes, ginger, pine, sweetened fruits, opening up a bourbon vanilla candle, then clove-stuck orange, salted caramel, spiced rum, mint
Palate – Spiced rum ball, warming, creamy, full-bodied yet smooth, malty, cocoa, coffee mocha… as it opened further in the glass – chocolate-covered salty caramels or malty salted peanuts, a touch of toast, a hint of gentle peat perhaps?
Finish – Slightly bitter, fruitcake

When we set it aside, it continued to mellow in the glass. The Benromach was the most classic dram of the evening, one for the traditionalists vs those in the mood for something more experimental or peatier.

C is for Creag Isle

I wasn’t familiar with Creag Isle… turns out it is a private independent label from the Hunter Laing stable. Whilst they typically focus on Islay whiskies (rumoured to often be from Caol Ila), the particular expression we tried was specifically identified as an “Island” single malt – which technically isn’t an official Scottish whisky region – with no further details!

Creag Isle 10 year Island Malt 42.2% (Hunter Laing)

Nose – How interesting! A distinctly Indian garam masala, coastal salt, and sand, dried fish, slowly sweetening over time
Palate – Funky yet interesting. It initially had an almost fizzy quality. There was peat behind the bitter. Curiously approachable for something so distinctive. At the same time, there was a delicate and light touch too. Quite different – yet it worked!
Finish – Very sweet finish, cinnamon smoke close… over time took on a bitter walnut quality too

One person shared that this dram was like kissing someone who had been puffing away on a cigar! As strange as our initial impressions may seem on reading them now, it was surprisingly compelling, drawing us back to continue to sniff, swish, and appreciate.