Murray McDavid Ard-Less Mystery 16 Year Old · 2009 Vintage Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 700ML

Bottled by Murray McDavid, this Ard-Less Mystery Malt was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2026 at 16 years old. Finished in Ximénez-Spínola Pedro Ximénez and Tawny Port casks, it was bottled at 54.3% ABV with an outturn of 912 bottles. That combination of PX and Tawny Port casks gives the whisky a darker, richer profile, layering dried fruit, berry sweetness and warming spice over the spirit. The result is a full-bodied, cask-led style, with plenty of depth and sweetness, but enough structure to keep it balanced rather than overly heavy.

Murray McDavid Ard-Less Mystery 16 Year Old · 2009 Vintage Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 700ML Tasting Notes

Nose: Raisins and dark berries mingle with cocoa and orange peel, brushed by polished oak with a whisper of spice—an inviting, rich, cask-led aroma that promises depth.

Palate: Rich and rounded on the palate, with layered PX sweetness, plum and dark chocolate balanced by warming spice. A full-bodied, velvety texture that carries depth and sweetness without heaviness, leaving a lingering echo of dried fruit and oak.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering dried fruit, sweet oak and gentle cocoa bitterness.

Distillery Information

Murray McDavid is an independent Scotch whisky bottler renowned for its approach to the Art of Maturation, selecting mature Scotch whiskies and developing them through carefully chosen finishing casks. Its Mystery Malt range is designed for whisky enthusiasts who enjoy discovering character without having the distillery explicitly named on the label. Ard-LESS is a playful reference to an unpeated spirit produced by an Aberdeenshire distillery established in 1898, a producer otherwise widely associated with its peated Highland whisky. For this 2026 release, Murray McDavid used PX sherry and Tawny Port casks from specialist European wine producers to add layers of dark fruit and sweetness to the underlying fruity, unpeated malt. The final vatting of these separately finished components reflects the company's focus on creative cask management and distinctive maturation.

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