Ardnahoe Bholsa

Tasted directly at the distillery. Initially soft on the nose, but gains more power over time. Not particularly distinctive in any particular direction. Hardly any fruit, just a hint of wood. No peat. It becomes slightly sweet. 71-80 – Fine, like to drink by time

Drinking Date: 25/5/2026 Location : Islay Independent Bottler Fest - Ardnahoe

Smoky, fruity, complex, medium long finish

A pronouncedly smoky bottling with distinct herbal, ashy notes. The sherry cask influences round it out somewhat. On the palate, it displays a distinct peppery spiciness and still shows plenty of youth.

Pretty decent for me. Can taste it is a bit immature but not unpleasant by any means. Not a massive Sherry influence. Easy drinking for 50% abv. No water needed. Contrasting finish…evidently a heavily peated Islay but certainly a refined version of the harsh, traditional, characterful new make expectant of the other big islays! Smooth, light (ish), heavily peated….likeable but missing something of “old”Islay stereotype tastes!

It's drinkable, but young, and there's little peat, and it's dry, but that's as always. Ok, Oloroso barrels certainly help, you can drink it, but this "holiday" is for fans, there is nothing to really savor here, which is a pity. 20 21 20 20 81

After the (for me) unconvincing Infinite Loch, an expression that harkens back to the glories of the inaugural release, skilfully dosing the casks with a dram that is agile and pleasant without being banal.

Tasted at the London Whisky Show Quite well balance, with emphasis on sesame and peanuts from the oloroso casks.

Nase: Süß, Rauch, Blutorange, Kirsche, etwas Lakritz, Gewürze, Karamell, Eiche | Geschmack: Süß, würzig, Rauch, Gewürze, dunkle Kirsche, Kaffee, etwas Lakritz, Eiche, etwas dunkle Schokolade | Abgang: Mittellang; süßer, leicht mineralischer Rauch, Gewürze und dunkle Kirsche bleiben. | Fazit: Die Nase beginnt süß und rauchig. Eine Mischung aus Blutorange und Kirsche gibt es anfangs. Dazu kommt etwas Lakritz und Gewürze. Karamell und Eiche habe ich außerdem. Die Nase wirkt schön harmonisch. Der Geschmack beginnt intensiv mit süßen und würzigen Noten. Rauch und Gewürze folgen. Dunkle Kirsche und Kaffeenoten habe ich dann. Etwas Lakritz und Eiche kommen dazu. Etwas dunkle Schokolade kann ich auch wahrnehmen. Der Geschmack ist sehr harmonisch. Ein schöner Whisky. Keine störenden Noten. Alles passt gut zusammen. Dunkle, schwere Noten wie Kirsche Kaffee und dazu eine tolle Rauchnote. Super. | 87-88 Punkte

It has a fairly high viscosity, and its bouquet is relatively intense. I have aromas of pleasant maritime peat smoke, citrus fruits, vanilla, leather, pipe tobacco, butter biscuits, apples, and crème brulee. Quite complex for its young age. A good balance between sweetness and dryness in terms of flavor. The alcohol is well integrated, and it has a heavy body.

Soft peat smoke and the sweeter influences of the Oloroso cask work incredibly well together. Very drinkable!

nose: campfire smoke, earthy peat, coal, yellow fruits, dried fruits and berries. palate: dried tobacco, peat, malted barley and ash smoke. Cacao, sultanas and peach. finish: spicy, grassy fresh wood and kind of a young. The alcohol needs to be more integrated but overall feeling is good.

another very good Ardnahoe. This time a balanced mix of sweet honey and sherry notes, which cover up powerfull peated malt. Highly drinkable, both with and without water.

An excellent smoky, peaty whisky, obviously quite young, but fully formed, balanced, with a decent range of derivatives, and the presence of relative depth and compositional complexity.

The sherry is a touch dry, with notes of red plum skin, dates, tanned leather, roasted walnuts, a hint of blood orange zest, and raspberry purée. The peat is definitely present, along with ash and soot, dark chocolate, and cured meat smeared with caramel. Candied cherries. On the palate, there's a red fruit coulis, shortbread biscuits, Williams pear, light oak and subtle spices, raisins, and licorice. It's a bit light. The finish is quite long and pleasantly powerful, with dried figs, hazelnuts, dirty charcoal, ginger, and a few more red fruits. A touch of acidity. This makes for a nice bottling, with fruity, meaty and slightly acidic notes, not unpleasant, but for me it lacks a little something of the Islay identity. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2026/01/ardnahoe-bholsa.html

Very nice, great balance.

There was much less sherry influence than I would have expected. Pronounced smoke, ash, soot, bitterness or tartness of citrus peel, wood and earthiness....

Blog on 28 May 2025 on www.longpouramour.com. The conclusion: "Not the easiest dram to get into straight away, but when you get yourself a bottle, it will certainly grow on you. Again a very impressive release by Ardnahoe."

05-10-2025

I've been using Ardnahoe for my lunch breaks whilst visiting the northern part of Islay, unfortunately they've recently closed the restaurant. My last visit was before the inaugural was released, so I never got to actually taste their whisky. Meanwhile, this is the third expression, and similar to the inaugural and the infinite loch, it's very pleasing.

Open review. Moderate aroma, a taste reminiscent of Oloroso sherry, and a light finish.

Rich golden colour. Bright smoky aroma with notes of peat and spices. Rich in taste, peat, minerals, salt, fire and smoke, berries and spices. Pleasant warming aftertaste with notes of smoke, dark chocolate and spices.

I would like to try a Sherry Single Cask, the sherry influence is a bit softened here, but not bad for a start

It makes a remarkably balanced and cohesive impression; its age is barely noticeable. I attribute this to the Oloroso casks, whose fruity infusion makes the whisky appear more refined on the nose and less dry and bitter on the palate. And the finish is also longer.

The inn Worn-out wood, a rusty door handle Where paint once was, only traces remain. Wind and weather cut their furrows deeper Long before us, mice found their way here. Voices swell under heavy beams Rough songs, carried by courage Outside, the rain is pouring down incessantly. But inside lives a fire that no longer goes out. No one brings what is missing here. Here we wear what we are

2cl Sample: Smoldering smoke, ashy, slightly mineral. A slightly tangy note can still be detected, but otherwise the sherry cask masks it with some wood and leather. Fruit isn't that prominent for me. The alcohol is initially well integrated in the palate. 50% has a good punch, but there's nothing sharp or "hot." I find the aromas quite similar. More leather, and the smoke seems a bit more mineral than on the nose. The mineral note would certainly be even stronger with an ex-bourbon cask. It doesn't develop dramtically on the finish. Leather and the mineral smoky notes, as well as smoldering herbs, remain at the end. I quite like it, but I don't need a large bottle of it.

Tasted 07/2025

Tasted at distillery. Slightly bitter at first then the sherry cask influence comes up with raisins and chocolate with a hint of peat. Slightly sweet and dry finish.After a few tastings really started to appreciate this whisky.

Spicy at first, then the fruit shows through. Salty, earthy, dirty. A little too much pepper in the taste, and overall somehow too simple. I liked the inaugural release better and was more interesting, in my opinion

Another no-age release from the new Islay distillery, named after the caves located near the distillery. Judging by the natural colour of the drink, a significant proportion of sherry-aged casks were used in the marriage. The release is bottled at the signature 50% abv, and is not chill-filtered. Nose: The aroma is rich, bright, fresh, but with a distinct sherry cask influence. It immediately greets you with tones of caramel, dried apricots, raisins, fermented orange and menthol freshness. Earthiness, minerality, iodine, seaweed, ash, charred wet wood are felt. Palate: the taste is bright, peppery, ashy with dried fruit nuances. A bright wave of pepperiness and ashyness covers you, which is replaced by sweetness from sherry aging. There are prunes, raisins, dried apricots, salted caramel. There is also a marine component in the form of iodine, minerals, seaweed. Then there is soot, ash, grilled meat, hot pepper, astringent tea tannins. Finish: aftertaste - a mixture of peppers, ash, dried fruit sweetness, earthiness, salted caramel, nori chips, astringent tannins Balance: a pleasant, bright, rounded island smoke with a noticeable sherry component. The result is a pleasant, rounded whisky, which at the same time has not lost its island identity and maritime character. N22, P22, F21, B21

A really solid smoke for its young age, which demonstrates the potential of Ardnahoe.

https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2025/06/20/summerton-whisky-festival-2025-part-1-2/ Ardnahoe’s Infinite Loch [WLP86] saw a cask makeup of 85% ex-bourbon, 15% ex-sherry. Bholsa sees the reverse, we’re told. C: I’m always pleasantly surprised how unapologetically peated Ardnahoe is. Additionally heavily sherried in this case, it’s sweet, [dry] earthy, some ashiness,… actually, more wood smoke than ash. The Last Drop finds it more meaty than I – ‘Happy Shopper-own brand bacon-flavoured maize snack’, the compromise tasting note in the moment. There’s a little too much sherry here for my personal taste, but it seems no matter what’s put out, Ardnahoe hits the spot – Bholsa finding its fan base with immediate effect.

Ardnahoe Bholsa 50% is an exceptional single malt whisky from the island of Islay, known for its characterful, smoky whiskies. This whisky captivates with its delicate aromas of peat smoke, combined with a pleasant sweetness and a maritime note. With an alcohol content of 50%, it offers an intense and powerful taste experience. Balance assured. A peat still full of soot and tar, but softened by the sherry, which is predominant here. A very gourmet side and the distillate is well highlighted. Richness, power, sherry aromas and finesse for a 5 year old whisky! Well done! 88/100

Tasted at the distillery on 04/21/2025 Quite classic in the “sherry style” but very well made for its age. It's very different but I think I prefer this one to Infinite Loch but less than the Inaugural release.

smell: harsher, smoke, smoky, BBQ taste: harsh, smoke, tobacco, chlorine, benzene This didn't work for me, the smoke machine, rather more technical, at first

Oily Peat Sherry

Nose-85/100; Taste-85/100; Finish-85/100.

A magnificent, extremely drinkable whisky! And yet, it definitely has a strong Islay style! As always, a standing ovation! Perhaps it's worth comparing it to Innaugural! I suspect they'll be very similar!) Difficulty of note breakdown: 6/10 22 22 21.5 21.5

Like the inaugural release, this is a compelling bottling. The smoke is pronounced but not overpowering. I really like the combination with the sweetness. So far, the distillery has made a good impression on me. Eye The sherry casks have left their mark, giving the whisky an amber hue. The movement is heavy, slightly oily. An oily film remains on the glass. Thick, oily legs form and slowly move downwards.

Tasted at the London Whisky Show 2025

Ardnahoe Bholsa, 50%, SMSW. 60ml sample from WhiskySite, consumed May 2025. Mid tone dull orange. Aroma is burnt wood and charcoal briquettes, toasted almonds, seared celery behind that with some wet sticking plasters and waxy green apple in the background too. Interesting mix. Body is lightly to moderately oily. Taste is potent and rounded, again nutty and toasted, restrained vanillin sweetness, very soft lingering smoke – charred driftwood. A touch of acrid sherry vinegar or astringent waxiness in the late aftertaste that isn’t noticeable up-front but builds over time. Not overly hot but certainly drinks its strength (first whisky of the evening, so my palate might not be acclimatised). Pretty good stuff. 3.625/86 --- Ardnahoe Bholsa. 1cl sample at The Whisky Show 2025, hence the poor notes. Aroma is young estery apple … palate is not as much, thankfully ... the smoke counterbalances the appley sherry … not great balance but the spirit shines through so much and it's great spirit. Not the best representation of Ardnahoe, I’d say. I prefer it leaning more ex-bourbon. 3.5/84

A complex and multi-layered interplay of aromas opens the nose. Initially, a bacony smoke dominates, combining with notes of old leather and a fresh lemon flavor. Underneath lie sweet accents of vanilla and crème brûlée, accompanied by a salty undertone and a slightly dirty note reminiscent of damp forest floor. Red fruits such as blueberries and plums add fruity depth, while hay and walnuts provide a rustic earthiness. A hint of spice rounds out the nose. On the palate, the whisky initially appears fresh, creamy, and sweet. This soft sweetness is quickly replaced by an emerging spice and a slight sharpness on the tongue. Dried fruits and raisins provide a comforting fruit note that blends harmoniously with robust peat smoke and maritime elements. Licorice, roasted nuts, and an ashy component add depth and complexity, while herbs provide a fresh, green accent. The finish is medium-long, warming, and balanced. A pleasant spiciness lingers, accompanied by maritime smoke, salty notes, and a hint of nuts. A gentle finish that whets the appetite for the next sip. A complex and exciting dram that appeals to both lovers of smoky and complex fruity whiskies. The combination of bacony smoke, maritime influences, and sweet and nutty notes makes it an expressive companion with character. Despite its intensity, it appears well balanced and reveals new facets at every stage of the tasting. A whisky for connoisseurs who enjoy exploring in the glass.

Unadulterated peat smoke, coastal, seaweed, old copper coins, menthol, oily and heavy mouthfeel, dill, and cucumber peel. Enhanced by baking spices like nutmeg and cloves, sweetness of dried dark fruits, and a slight tardness of fresh berries. Clear Oloroso sherry influence with warm oak undertones, resulting in a full, balanced, and warming whisky.

Uisge tasting 2026. Nice Scot. Yes, Ardnahoe knows his stuff.

Fun dram

Very basic. Sweet. Smoky. Sour. No unpleasant notes. But "without zest". For my taste - too sweet

The next bottling from this still-young Islay distillery, which I really like. While the Infinte Loch showed even more ex-bourbon cask character with its vanilla and citrus notes, the Bholsa has a bold smoky and berry fruit combination. The now-familiar 50% alcohol content of Ardnahoe is perfectly integrated. There's no apparent youthfulness to be found. This must be truly good casks at work. I hope Ardnahoe continues like this; then we'll have a lot of fun with this distillery.

Got a dram of this one when visiting the distillery. Have to say, the people over there are abolutely fantastic and very friendly. I enjoyed this one when I got back home. I do have to say that I liked the 5 year old a little more, but it was nice to try this one.