Ardmore 23 Year (SMWS 66.198 "Serene Sunset Satisfaction")

 

This is the second of the two 23-year Ardmores from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") I've had recently - sister casks, each featuring a different finish. The first bottle, numbered 66.197 and called "Let The World Fall Apart" and was finished in a sherry cask; this bottle, numbered 66.198 is called "Serene Sunset Satisfaction" and was finished in a wine barrique (presumably red wine?). 

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.