Ardmore 23 Year (SMWS 66.197 "Let The World Fall Down")

 

This is the first of a two-part series: a pair of "sister casks" from Ardmore, each aged 21 years and then finished an additional two years in a different cask - in this case, a refill Oloroso hogshead. 

Ardmore, an Eastern Highland distillery, is known for having a particularly unique profile - fruit and smoke, with a uniquely industrial/metallic aspect. My first bottle from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") was an Ardmore, and it's what made me fall in love with the distillery: it was like drinking oyster vinegar combined with hints of smoke and fruit, and was just an extremely unusual and lovely bottle. 

Here are the official notes of this bottle:

A fabulously rich nose – molasses, toffee apples and Halloween treacle scones; raisiny sherry wine, leather and polished oak conveyed pure opulence. Aromatic campfire wood-smoke arrived on the palate, with sweet sherry, brown sugar and Nutella; tannic twists of liquorice, ash, cinnamon and oak to finish. The reduced nose was a Spanish menu of Jamon Serrano, quince jelly, Manchego, Tostadas and sunflower seeds – cinder toffee for dessert. The palate – tobacco smoke, vanilla wafers, Eccles cakes and sticky dates – ‘lock me away with this and let the world fall apart’ said one dreamy-eyed panellist. After 21 years in bourbon wood, this was filled into an oloroso hogshead of Spanish oak.  

Wow! That's quite an assemblage of flavors. I had this as a single 2 oz pour at the Jack Rose Saloon here in Washington DC (see picture). Bottled at 53.3% ABV, let's explore this old expression of Ardmore: 

Nose: Peat, faint oyster brine, smoke, sherry leather and sherry oak, toffee or caramel, molasses. Burnt figs.

Mouthfeel: Oily. 

Palate: Industrial notes, followed by rich fruit: coal, smoke, old metal, apple, pear. Olive oil, salt. As the palate develops, the smoke gets thicker on the tongue. By the end it's quite a plume. 

Finish: Long: smoke, brown sugar, motor oil, old wood. Very nice. 

Verdict: Just a tremendous expression of Ardmore - very near the apex of the house style. I think the next bottle, which was 21 years in ex-bourbon with a 2 year ex-wine barrique finish, is even better though. Stay tuned for that one!