Ardnahoe Distillery opened in 2018 on the north-east coast of Islay, founded by Stewart Laing and his sons Andrew and Scott of Hunter Laing & Co. — a Glasgow family with deep roots in the Scotch whisky industry. The first new distillery on Islay for over a decade, Ardnahoe sits between Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila, overlooking the Sound of Islay toward the Paps of Jura. Using Scotland's longest lyne arms and the island's only worm tub condensers, the distillery produces a heavily peated, richly fruity spirit with a distinctive creamy, slightly oily texture that has quickly earned international acclaim.
Table of the content:
- Ardnahoe: Distillery Heritage & Story
- What Makes Ardnahoe Unique?
- Ardnahoe Inaugural Release
- Ardnahoe Infinite Loch — Core Range
- Ardnahoe Bholsa — Core Range
- Cask Strength & Limited Releases
- Single Cask Releases
- Is Ardnahoe Worth Collecting?
- Where to Buy Ardnahoe Whisky?
- Where to Find Limited Ardnahoe Releases?
Ardnahoe: Distillery Heritage & Story
The idea for Ardnahoe began in 2015 when Stewart Laing identified a four-hectare site beside Loch Ardnahoe on the north-east corner of Islay. His family had a long connection to the island — Stewart had worked at Bruichladdich early in his career — and after establishing Hunter Laing & Co. as an independent bottler in 2013, the ambition to own a distillery became reality. Planning permission was granted in 2016, construction began that year, and the first spirit ran through the stills on 14 October 2018, with the first cask filled on 9 November. The distillery officially opened its doors to visitors in April 2019, becoming Islay's ninth operational distillery.
In 2017, legendary former Bruichladdich production director Jim McEwan joined Ardnahoe as production director, bringing decades of Islay whisky expertise to the project. The distillery was voted Best New Distillery at the 2025 Online Scotch Whisky Awards, and the Inaugural Release won Gold at both the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the 2025 International Spirits Challenge.
What Makes Ardnahoe Unique?
Ardnahoe's technical character is shaped by two defining choices: Scotland's longest lyne arms (at 24.5 feet) and the island's only traditional worm tub condensers. Worm tubs cool the vapour more rapidly and retain more of the heavier compounds, creating a spirit with greater weight, creaminess, and complexity than modern condensers. The combination of long lyne arms with worm tub cooling is exceptionally rare in modern Scottish distilling.
Ardnahoe uses barley peated to 40ppm — in the medium-heavy range for Islay — and employs long fermentations of between 60 and 70 hours to develop rich fruit flavours before distillation. The resulting spirit has been described as a classic Islay profile with marine minerals, rich peat smoke, and abundant fruity complexity, drawing favourable comparisons in blind tastings to the great south shore Islay malts.
Ardnahoe: Distillery Heritage & Story
Founded in 2018 by the Laing family and designed for long-term quality, Ardnahoe is built on deep Islay experience and traditional production methods that set it apart from every other distillery on the island.
What Makes Ardnahoe Unique?
Scotland's longest lyne arms, Islay's only worm tub condensers, and long fermentations create a spirit of unusual weight, fruit richness, and creamy depth — a distinctly original take on the classic peated Islay style.
Ardnahoe Inaugural Release
The Ardnahoe Inaugural Release was the distillery's first single malt bottling, launched in May 2024 to coincide with the Fèis Ìle festival on Islay. A five-year-old expression, it was the first new whisky from Islay since Kilchoman's debut.
Matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 50% ABV without chill-filtration, the Inaugural Release delivers a rich palate of buttery shortbread, baked apple, and gentle peat smoke, with a long warming finish. Its Gold medals at two of the world's most prestigious spirits competitions were a definitive statement of intent.
Ardnahoe Infinite Loch — Core Range
Ardnahoe Infinite Loch is the distillery's first permanent core range expression, released in September 2024 and named after Loch Ardnahoe — known locally as "the infinite loch" because no one knows its depth.
The Ardnahoe Infinite Loch Single Malt is a no-age-statement expression blended from 85% first-fill ex-bourbon cask and 15% first-fill ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry cask. Bottled at 50% ABV, natural colour, and without chill-filtration, it delivers sea-spray, Islay peat, and dark chocolate on the nose, with menthol, fresh fruits, and bonfire notes on the palate leading to a smoky, zesty finish. At approximately €60 on Spiritory, this is the outstanding entry point for discovering Ardnahoe's house style.
Ardnahoe Bholsa — Core Range
Bholsa is the second core range expression from Ardnahoe, matured predominantly in Oloroso sherry casks — a deliberate contrast to the bourbon-led Infinite Loch. The name refers to a sea cave near the distillery on Islay.
Where Infinite Loch is driven by bourbon cask freshness and coastal smoke, Bholsa takes a richer, darker direction — dried fruit, dark chocolate, and spice layered on top of the distillery's signature peated character.
Cask Strength & Limited Releases
Ardnahoe's Cask Strength Edition Batch No. 1, released in October 2025, is the third permanent core range expression — a five-year-old single malt from first-fill bourbon barrels, bottled at 60.9% ABV.
Bottled at full cask strength, it offers a more concentrated expression of Ardnahoe's spirit: coastal brine, earthy peat, and rich cocoa on the nose, with orchard fruits, herbal tea, and salted caramel on the palate, finishing with smoky citrus. The distillery has also released the Càraid Ìleach limited edition series, including the Ardnahoe Càraid Ìleach Edition Nr. 2 — 100% PX Quarter Cask — a sherry-forward expression matured entirely in Pedro Ximénez quarter casks.
Single Cask Releases
The Ardnahoe Manager's Selection marked the distillery's first-ever single cask release — a personal selection by Distillery Manager David Livingstone, limited to just 232 bottles.
The Ardnahoe 6 Years Old Manager's Selection is a 6-year-old single malt from a first-fill bourbon cask, bottled at its natural cask strength of 58.4% ABV. With only 232 bottles produced, this release is already a historic milestone. Livingstone described it as showcasing "not only where the whisky is now but also what our whisky will become." The Ardnahoe 6 Years Old 2019 Single Cask offers a further glimpse into the distillery's early cask-level character at 59.9% ABV.
Is Ardnahoe Worth Collecting?
Ardnahoe represents one of the most compelling collecting propositions in contemporary Scotch whisky. As the newest distillery on Islay, with a production approach rooted in traditional and increasingly rare techniques, its trajectory is only upward. Early releases — particularly the Inaugural Release and the Manager's Selection — are already becoming difficult to find. The combination of founding family expertise, a distinct technical signature, and Islay provenance makes Ardnahoe a smart target for forward-thinking collectors.
What Is the Most Expensive Ardnahoe Bottle?
The Manager's Selection, limited to 232 bottles at cask strength, is Ardnahoe's most exclusive and sought-after release to date — the distillery's first-ever single cask expression.
As the distillery matures and releases longer-aged expressions, the value of early-year single cask releases is expected to increase significantly.
Why Is Ardnahoe Whisky Exciting for Collectors?
Ardnahoe's combination of ultra-traditional production methods, limited output, Islay provenance, and rapid critical success creates conditions rarely seen in a distillery less than a decade old. The use of worm tub condensers and Scotland's longest lyne arms produces a spirit with a unique textural character that is already being favourably compared to some of Islay's most revered historic expressions.
What Is the Most Affordable Ardnahoe Bottle?
The Ardnahoe Infinite Loch Single Malt at approximately €60 on Spiritory is the most accessible entry point into the Ardnahoe range.
Bottled at 50% ABV from first-fill casks and without chill-filtration, Infinite Loch delivers genuine Ardnahoe house style at a price that belies the quality inside. It is the natural starting point for any collector beginning to explore this emerging Islay distillery.
Ardnahoe vs Other Islay Distilleries
Ardnahoe occupies a distinctive position among Islay distilleries. Unlike the established giants — Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin — Ardnahoe does not carry decades of aged whisky inventory. Its advantage lies in novelty, technical differentiation, and the authentic vision of an independent family. Where Kilchoman launched the "new Islay" era in 2005, Ardnahoe represents the next chapter — a distillery whose early releases already compare favourably to some of the island's most celebrated expressions in blind tastings.
Where to Buy Ardnahoe Whisky?
Ardnahoe bottles are available directly from the distillery's website and through specialist whisky retailers. For collectors seeking specific releases — including the Inaugural Release, limited editions, and single cask bottlings — Spiritory is the most efficient platform. Spiritory's authenticated marketplace lists verified Ardnahoe bottles from private sellers and specialist merchants, with transparent pricing, condition grading, and full buyer protection.
Where to Find Limited Ardnahoe Releases?
Limited Ardnahoe releases including the Inaugural Release, Manager's Selection, and Society bottlings are frequently sold out at retail within hours of launch. Spiritory's condition-assessed and authenticated listings provide confidence in bottle provenance, making it the trusted choice for collectors adding rare Ardnahoe releases to their collections.