Review by: The Muskox
I think it’s universal among whisky nerds with huge sample collections to, once in a while, reach into the back of their cabinet, pull out a sample and ask themselves, “what the hell is this and where did it come from?” Well, at least I hope that’s universal. In any case, this happened to me the other day and this review is the result. I have no clue how long I’ve had this sample or who gave it to me, but the last Ardmore I had with similar stats to this one was incredible, so expectations are high.
Distillery: Ardmore.
Bottler: Single Cask Nation.
Region/Style: Highland single malt.
ABV: 52.5%. Cask strength.
Age: 23 years. Distilled in 1997. Bottled in July 2021.
Maturation: Matured in cask #901310, a dechar/rechar hogshead.
Price: N/A, sample.
Color: 1.0, Deep gold. No colour added. Non-chill-filtered.
Nose: Spiced and rich, without so much peat but very minerally. Baked goods with dried fruit, stroopwaffel, lots of vanilla. Melon and candied citrus. Cooked vegetables and salty chicken broth.
Palate: Medium body. Arrives with caramel, cooked bananas, orange bitters, and hoisin sauce, quickly developing to… oh, there’s some peat, but the bonfire is long-extinguished and soggy with seawater. Earthy, nori, browned butter. Smashed oyster shells and chalk.
Finish: Long, soft and sweet. Cool mineral, eucalyptus, melon, lime sherbet. Oysters and dark Chinese vinegar. Not that much oak.
Conclusion: Good one! I love how Ardmore mellows once it gets to this age. This one had pillowy sweetness balanced by excellent savouriness. Barely any peat either. I have a feeling this sample has been sitting for a while, since I found it at my parents’ place having moved out three years ago, and having no idea who gave this to me. Some of that chalkiness is probably the result of that. Of course, Ardmore is one of the most mineral malts out there, so maybe not. The seal looked like it was in perfect shape.
Final Score: 85.
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 