Ardnahoe Bholsa – May 2026

The much-anticipated Australian debut of Islay’s newest distillery…a big, traditional smoky sherry bomb from the home of peated whisky – Islay – Raise your glasses to the Ardnahoe Bholsa!

The Bholsa is the second Ardnahoe whisky to be released in Australia. Heavily peated, and matured prominently in ex-oloroso, the Bholsa carries no age statement but is widely considered to be made from 4 and 5 year old casks. It’s a fantastic example of the big peated sherry bomb whisky that so many of our members love – especially as we head into the winter dramming months!

Ardnahoe Distillery is the newest distillery on Islay, founded by Hunter Laing & Co. and officially opened in 2019. It sits on the island’s northeast coast between Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain, drawing its name—and its exceptionally soft production water—from nearby Loch Ardnahoe. The distillery was built with a £12 million investment and represents the Laing family’s long held ambition to create their own Islay malt. Its location, overlooking the Sound of Islay, gives it both dramatic scenery and a strong sense of place. Ardnahoe quickly became a visitor favourite, welcoming 24,000 guests by late 2019 and earning a five star VisitScotland rating.

Production at Ardnahoe blends modern precision with traditional methods, giving the spirit a distinctive weight and character. The distillery uses exceptionally soft water from Loch Ardnahoe, filtered through peat and rock for thousands of years, and mills its peated malt using a 100 year old Vickers Boby mill—the only piece of heritage equipment used at the [otherwise] all-modern distillery. Fermentation takes place in Oregon pine washbacks for 65–70 hours, producing a fruity wash, before distillation in lantern shaped copper stills crafted by Speyside Copperworks.

Ardnahoe Distillery is unique on Islay and one of only a handful in Scotland that still employ the traditional style of worm tub condenser. Large copper coils submerged in tanks or “tubs” of cold water allow the vapour after it has passed through the lyne arm of the still to condense gently and gradually, thus imbuing it with added texture and complexity.

This style of condensing used to be common throughout Scotland but fell somewhat out of favour in the 20th century because its use necessitates particularly slow distillation. Whilst the accountants may not share our enthusiasm, we believe the benefits of this less efficient method will ultimately be apparent in the glass!

Nose: It’s like being smashed in the face by an Iodine-infused Monaro burnout at the Summer Nats. AND I LOVE IT! It’s everything you’re looking for in an Islay peat monster – with a distinct sweet fruitiness that somehow manages to ascend over that glorious cacophony of Isla peat notes.

Palate: Big and oily with a lovely mouthfeel and little pepper. There is a red-fruit sweetness here, but it really only serves to offset the lead which is that glorious maritime peat.

Finish: Huge, chewy, salty, meaty, fruity and no shortage of why we’re all here… BIG Islay peat notes. Did I mention the peat?

This is where I normally talk about a ‘delicate balance’ of peaty notes offset and complimented by fruit. But there’s nothing delicate about this whisky – it’s Islay, sweet, smoky, iodine-y, band aid-burnouts and seaweed-y, salty-umami and cured-meaty. AND I %#@*-ING LOVE IT! If you like a peated whisky, you need this bottle. If you don’t like peat you don’t want this one – it’s that simple. It’s a huge whisky that really cements Ardnahoe as a staunch upholder of the Islay tradition.

Cask strength, unfiltered, and chosen because the whisky itself had something to say!