Ardmore 1977 Samaroli 35th Anniversary

Review by: Raygun

Due to an extremely generous friend, I was gifted a set of samples from one of the virtual masterclasses from the 2021 Whisky Show: Old and Rare run by The Whisky Exchange. A set of six drams selected by Angus MacRaild, Jonny McMillan, and Sukinder Singh. This is actually the most recent one. This Ardmore was bottled in 2003 for Samaroli’s 35th anniversary, so 25-26 years old. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 10 minutes.

Distillery: Ardmore 

Bottler: Samaroli

Region/style: Highlands single malt Scotch

ABV: 45%

Age: 25-26 years. Distilled in 1977. Bottled in 2003. 

Cask type: Unspecified, but looks to be bourbon. #7631.

Color: 0.3 pale gold. Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.

Price: A cool £1500

Nose: Butterscotch, lemon zest, and a distinct farmy scent. Some florals. A sort of truffle-like funk.   

Palate: Lemon and grapefruit tart, more flowers, caramel, and some barnyard. There’s a little bit of smoke, but the peat influence comes out mostly as barnyard. Get pineapple and kiwi as well. Croissant. 

Finish: Pastry crust is prominent. Gentle smoke. Lemon, grapefruit, kiwi. Butterscotch. The peat is fairly mild, but brings an extra savory edge. 

Conclusion: It’s always hard to know what to do with pours like these. It’s nearly impossible to put the rarity and cost out of mind and just consider what’s in the glass. Which is very, very good. I haven’t had much older Ardmore—none, I don’t think. This is on the gentle and fruity side, heavy on the pastry flavor. A combination that I like a lot. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t put it in my top 10 ever. In that sense, it falls a little short of expectations. 

Buy a bottle? Lol, no

Final Score: 87

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
  • 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)

Published by Raygun

I drank Scotch occasionally (mostly at family gatherings) for years, but started getting more interested after an introduction and tasting from a Scottish acquaintance. That led to buying my first bottle (Highland Park 12). Now 600+ spirits later, Scotch is still my first love, but I drink other whisky and dabble in brandy as well.

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