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Day 5 - KWM 2025 This Is Still Not An Advent Calendar

Posted on December 7, 2025

The recap tasting video for Days and Doors 1 thru 5 is up on YouTube and can be found here.

by Evan

Okay – hands up if you are sick of me mentioning Pernod Ricard in these blog posts? The French spirits company has played a role in shaping the brands and whisky we have talked about over the past three days for KWM’s 2025 Still Not An Advent Whisky Tastings. That changes for Day Five! As far as I can tell, Pernod Ricard has had nothing to do with the creation of the Ardnahoe Infinite Loch.

This is the second year in a row we are featuring Ardnahoe Distillery in our KWM Advent Whisky tastings. On Day 4 of the 2024 KWM This Is Not An Advent Calendar, we tasted the distillery’s 5 Year Old Inaugural Release.

Ardnahoe is the youngest of 10 currently operating distilleries on Islay to have released whisky. Here are the currently running and upcoming Islay Distilleries as of December 2025, listed based on founding date:

Owning and operating a distillery on Islay so hot right now, as the cool kids would say. The only place in Scotland that would be sexier for having one is probably Campbeltown. Because who doesn’t love the idea of operating a distillery where you are so remote the costs go up significantly due to having to ship your equipment and malt from far away? It is even harder to distill on Islay now, thanks to Diageo seemingly keeping all of Port Ellen’s malt production to themselves. Maybe that will change now that the Scotch Whisky market seems to be in a downturn.

Regardless of economics, Ardnahoe is no longer the new kid on the block and will soon look as experienced as Kilchoman Distillery relative to newcomers Port Ellen (revivied), Portintruan, Laggan Bay, and Gartbreck.

Spirits behemoth Diageo is behind Port Ellen revival. The Distillery was shuttered in 1983 and has been revived completely rebuilt. Diageo and is already selling casks collectors and has dollar signs (or British Pound Sterling signs?) in its eyes at the prospect of gouging whisky geeks everywhere when it eventually releases new Port Ellen Single Malt once more.

Portintruan was supposed to have opened by now, but hit a stumbling block last year when the company building it went into receivership.

Laggan Bay is being jointly planned by a group called the Islay Boys and Ian MacLeod Distillers. Ian Macleod are the owners of Glengoyne and Tamdhu, as well as the revived Rosebank Distillery in Falkirk. Laggan Bay should be opening spring of 2026 if all goes well.

The potential distillery on Gartbreck farm has been in planning off and on for more than a decade. It was originally the idea the Glannn Ar Mor Distillery owners. Glann Arr Mor resides in Brittany, France. THAT distillery was purchased by Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard

I said I would not mention Pernod Ricard, and now I have to eat my own words! Good thing words are delicious.

Today’s Ardnahoe is named The Infinite Loch, and it is the first standard, non-limited release from the young Islay distillery.

Ardnahoe Infinite Loch – 50%

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: malty, maritime, and smoky with juicy fruit; dark baker's chocolate; firm earthy peat, tarry ropes, fresh whipped cream, and lemon squares; a tad on the seafoody side, bright and floral.

Palate: malty, honeyed, and fruity with tarry peat; dried apple chunks, candied lemon peel, and watermelon candies; a touch vegetal, with a faint hint of wasabi; firm woody spices: fennel, clove, and anise; smoked eel, steemed mussles, and candied jalapeno. 

Finish: lush, malty, and creamy with tarry smoke; more fading seafood and firm woody spice.

Comment: if you like em peaty, drink em young; following in the footsteps of the young Ardbegs of the mid-2000s, and the Kilchomans of the 2010s, this whisky punches well above its age; if you're a peathead, this one ticks all the boxes.

Evan’s Tasting Note 

Nose: Salt, smoke and creamy custard. Cullen Skink soup, salty pistachios, baked apple turnover, steam clams in butter and white wine, and a hint of pencil shavings. 

Palate: Creamy, salty and smoke driven. Very coastal with notes of yogurt coated raisins, apple cider, white chocolate, buttercream, honey, and scallops wrapped in bacon. 

Finish: Rich and quite coastal even on the fade. The smoke slowly fades with time, but the saltiness lingers. 

Comment: This is a rich, very well-balanced peaty and coastal dram. The poise Ardnahoe shows even in youth is impressive. 

Cheers,
Evan

evan@kensingtonwinemarket.com

This entry was posted in Whisky, Tastings, Whisky Calendars, Tastings - Online Tasting, KWM 2025 Still Not An Advent Calendar Tastings

 

 

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