Equinox & Solstice Spring Edition 2026 Ardnamurchan 10 Year Old – 70cl

Two barrels of heavily peated Ardnamurchan, both filled in 2015, married together for a few months and bottled at ten years old. That's the Spring 2026 Equinox & Solstice from Decadent Drinks, and it does exactly what a spring dram should: it wakes you up.

Ardnamurchan sits out on the peninsula that holds the most westerly point of mainland Britain, a young distillery facing straight out to the Atlantic, and it has quickly earned a reputation for clean, coastal, properly smoky spirit. One first-fill barrel brings the vanilla and soft sweetness; the refill barrel keeps the distillery character sharp and in focus. Equinox & Solstice is the seasonal series from Decadent Drinks, the bottler run by Angus MacRaild and friends, always at the house strength of 48.5% and always dressed in commissioned art. This edition's painterly front label is by the artist April.

In the glass, expect bright, high-definition peat smoke, lemon peel and sea spray, with a seam of barley sweetness underneath and a sharp, briny finish. It's lively rather than heavy, and at 48.5% it drinks easily without losing its grip.

This is the sort of bottle you keep within reach: for sharing, for the hip flask, or for a smoke-charged highball on a lighter evening.

How to Serve

Neat in a Glencairn to begin. It also makes an excellent highball: long, with chilled soda water and a twist of lemon.

Food Pairings

Oysters or smoked mackerel play beautifully to the coastal side. A wedge of mature Cheddar works too.