Ah, Ardmore. They can do no wrong. Even their weirdest, strangest, most astringent off-profile whisky is wondrous to me. When I saw this 13 year from independent bottler ImpEx (selected by Sam Filmus, the president of ImpEx!), I jumped all over it.
This is bottled at 59.3% ABV, after 13 years in a refill bourbon barrel. I have had a slew of extremely good Ardmores this year, so I'm hoping this keeps the streak going. I have a soft spot for ImpEx, who hosted the first two or three single cask tastings I ever attended. Let's see how this does:
Nose: Surprisingly complex for 13 years, and also a little unusual as far as Ardmore goes. Ardmore usually presents as fruity, industrial (smoke and oil), lightly peated, with a floral quality on the back end.
This immediately hits you with: sweet peat, an earthy/woodsy quality, rock salt and oyster brine, tinned pear, hints of cigarettes, toasted bread, and hay/straw. The floral quality comes through gently, paired with a tea note - like iced tea made with some tea that had lavender mixed in. Finally, after sitting in the glass a good while, the industrial machine note emerges, along with a light waxiness.
Mouthfeel: Medium, on the oily side.
Palate: Much richer than the nose: huge industrial grease and smoke notes pair with (rich!) baked apples and pears and hints of cherries, honey, some malted barley/hay/straw, and rock salt, pepper and peat, and a lovely heathery note at the end.
Finish: Smoke, peat, flowers, and baked fruit. Quite a long finish.
Verdict: The streak continues! One of the best Ardmores I've had in a while... wait, I always say that. If you like fruity-yet-smoky whiskies, this is for you. It's surprisingly complicated for a 13 year old. 2023 is seeming, more and more, like the Year of Ardmore, what with all the SMWS releases, the WhiskyNerds bottle, and the Blackadders as well.
This is really an exceptionally good bottling of Ardmore. Highly recommended.
If only they would start officially releasing more interesting fare! Just imagine.
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