Review by: Raygun

Ardmore in Madeira is a new one to me. Ardmore was established to supply malt for the Teacher’s blend, and is the rare Highland distillery making mostly peated whisky. There is an unpeated version called Ardlair, but it’s much less common. Ardmore and Teacher’s are now owned by Beam Suntory, and doesn’t have much of an OB presence. IBs are pretty common. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: Ardmore 

Bottler: Berry Bros & Rudd   

Region/style: Highlands single malt Scotch

ABV: 53.6%  

Age: 14 years old. Distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2023.   

Cask type: Hogshead with a finish in Madeira, #709316, 245 bottles.

Color: 1.5 auburn. Natural color and non-chillfiltered.

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Nose: The peat comes across as mild woodsmoke. Also nearly burnt toast. Swimming pool, orange, caramel, and cream.                      

Palate: Smokier and with a pleasant richness. More cream, caramel, and now some nuttiness. Pecans and almonds, I’d say. Orange and there’s some plantain as well. Not very sweet. Somewhat meaty. Hints of rancio and a bit of menthol.  

Finish: A turn toward sautéed mushrooms and toast. Medium smoke, more than the nose. More savory than the palate, with similar nutty flavors. Grilled chicken with orange cream sauce. Definite char flavor.     

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Conclusion: Took some time to open up, and now I really like this. Despite not often liking Madeira casks. Here it works very well. I’ve had similar nuttiness in other Ardmores, but the orange and cream were new to me. The more savory turn in the finish was also very nice. Maybe I’m coming around to Madeira casks now. This is a good one.

Score: 82

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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)