Review #737 - Ardnamurchan Madeira Cask Release (2025)

In 2022, Ardnamurchan released a Madeira Cask single malt which was unpeated; in 2025, they followed that up with a second Madeira edition, and this one uses a substantial amount of peated distillate. It's bottled at a strength of 52% ABV, and we know that Ardnamurchan doesn't chill filter or add artificial color to their whisky.

In line with those high-quality bottling specifications, Ardnamurchan continues their philosophy of transparency and quality by giving us quite a bit of traceable information via the QR code on the back of each bottling. Here are a few excerpts from this batch of the 2025 Madeira Cask Release:

Concerto barley was used, and the mash fermented for 76 hours
The spirit was all distilled in 2018; there's no age statement on the bottle, but considering the bottling year of 2025, we can give this a 6 year age statement
57% of the distillate in this release was unpeated, while the other 43% was peated
The distillate first matured in ex-bourbon casks, specifically American standard barrels

After that initial maturation, a finishing period of 26 months in Madeira casks was used to impart a relatively strong wine influence on this Highland single malt.

Ardnamurchan Madeira Cask Release (2025)

Scotland/Highland - Single Malt

Price: USD 89 (2025)

Age Statement: 6 Years

Strength: 52% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon casks, finished in Madeira casks

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled 2018, bottled 2025; 19,598 bottles

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 3 months; bottles at 50%, 80%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Rich, full of fudge notes, smoky charcoal, and dark fruits: prune, plum, a bit of syrupy cranberry sauce. The peat had a decent influence, bringing a hint of ash, but we get more sweet notes like raisin, chocolate-caramel truffle, and butterscotch with time.

Palate: Cinnamon, fudge, tiramisu, and caramel - lots of dessert flavors. The peat smoke still has some decent strength, but we're mostly getting sweet notes on this palate. Chocolate and pecans, strawberries, some tangy orange and a hint of wine gums; red apples and cherry lozenges linger later. The mouthfeel is medium-thick.

Finish: Raspberries, tart cherries, wood smoke and softer peat smoke. Brown sugar, cinnamon, and fudge continue the theme of sweet baking notes, and we get a salty side and mineral notes from the lovely Ardnamurchan spirit in the background. Fizzy and warming at times; the aftertaste has a hint of caramel. This finish is medium-long.

Final Note: This is a decadent, dessert-like single malt with a nice amount of peat smoke woven in to make the experience even richer. Lots of chocolate and red fruit flavors from that Madeira influence, and even though that cask influence is heavy, we still get some of those coastal, salty notes from the distillate. This is a great single malt, one that tastes more complex and well-rounded than its 6 year age statement might suggest.

Value here is pretty good, too. Ardnamurchan whiskies are generally fairly priced, and this is no exception; if you enjoy the combination of peat smoke and strong cask influence, we highly recommend picking this one up.

Our Rating: 7.9 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 7.02

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.