Part 13 of Reviews from The Single Cask Singapore
Review by: Whiskery Turnip
Singapore is one of my favorite places to visit, and I leapt at the chance to finally return again during my summer conference schedule. I resolved to do a bit more whisky tasting while I was in the country and use my extended stay to drop by new places and meet new people.
We returned to The Single Cask many times in Singapore; the first time was to check out the place (found in parts 1-4). However, the half dozen other trips, usually just for a dram, resulted from that great first experience. No doubt, the fact that we stayed half a block away for part of the visit and walked by Chijmes, the complex in which the bar sits, just about any time we left the hotel, also played a role.
Our last night there was emblematic of the heart and community shared through whisky. We stopped by the bar shortly after opening for one last hurrah before heading to Changi airport and our very late red-eye flight. We tasted the happy hour special flight, including the whisky below, and, over a couple hours, found ourselves with pours from regulars who happened to stop in with their own bottles and offered to share, adding social media friends and swapping more stories about travel and whisky. We never made it to all the bars or places were hoped to, but it is never bad to have a few good reasons to return again.
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: The Single Cask
Region: Scotland/Highland Single Malt
ABV: 55.7%. Cask strength.
Age: 11 years. Distilled on 16 Dec. 2009. Bottled on 18 Feb. 2021.
Cask type: Red Wine Octave Finish. Cask 709249.
Price: $73/80ml flight of four whiskies at The Single Cask Singapore.
Nose: Fried donuts and sweet smoked meat, egg custard filling in a fried donut, dirty grill soot and grease, carbonized grill debris, charred herbs, sweet char siu, hints of smoked cheese rind.
Palate: Medium-bodied, earthy, dirty grill top, hints of smoke and pineapple, sweet honey, toasted herbs along the lines of Herbes de Provence, a touch of ash.
Finish: Long with dirty grill, charred fruit, and toasted herbs.
Mental Image: Unmaintained Community Grill
Conclusion: A final peaty dram to end the Happy Hour Tasting Flight— our final flight in Singapore. I have had a couple of other red wine Ardmore before, and I am just not sure the style really works for me. This was the highest I have rated one to this point, as they have all had this rather odd collision of flavors as the red wine casks elevate earthier elements of the whisky so that it feels dirty. On this whisky, that primarily came through as dirty grill tops with all manner of carbonized meat and detritus— the kind of grill in need of more than just a good scrub to remove some of the excess seasoning. There were elements I enjoyed, especially the teases of fruit and fried dough that came through at different times. If those had been more dominant and less fleeting, a reveal of positions with the dirty grill, this would have been really special. As is, it was good but just missing another strong element.
Final Score: 77.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 