Ardnamurchan AD/04:21 Paul Launois Release

Bottled in April 2021, AD/04:21 is the inaugural Paul Launois Release from Ardnamurchan, the first in an ongoing collaboration with the Champagne house Paul Launois of Le Mesnil sur Oger in the Côte des Blancs. Bottled at 57.6% ABV without dilution for the European market, the expression draws on ex Bourbon primary maturation followed by finishing in casks that previously held Paul Launois Blanc de Blancs Champagne.

Both peated and unpeated production runs from the distillery's split regime feed this release. Concerto barley is milled into a copper topped semi lauter mash tun, fermented 72 to 120 hours in seven stainless steel washbacks on a single strain distiller's yeast, then double distilled through wash and spirit stills with reflux boil balls to a new make of 74 to 76% ABV. Spirit was filled at 63.5% and matured on site at Glenbeg in dunnage warehousing.

Champagne cask finishing is an unusual choice in Scotch maturation. Paul Launois Blanc de Blancs is made entirely from Chardonnay grown on Grand Cru rated chalk soils, and the casks retain residual wine compounds with a distinctly fresh chalky mineral register alongside the citrus and brioche notes associated with Champagne's secondary fermentation. Ex Bourbon underneath supplies vanillin and oak lactone structure. Peated phenols (guaiacol, syringol, 4 methylguaiacol from St Fergus Highland peat at 30 to 35 ppm) from the peated portion contrast the bright citric Champagne register with structural smoke.