Ardmore 8yo 59.4% ABV Cask #800650 (A.D.Rattray).

Distillery Region-Highland, Date Bottled-23.05.2022, Cask Type-Bourbon Barrel, No. of Bottles-257, Cask Number-800650, Age-8 Years Old, Date Distilled-12.12.2013, Strength-59.4% alc./vol.

The re-emergence of peated highland malts in recent years owes much to the stellar reputation and quiet popularity of Ardmore, with its recognisable wood smoke and tangy fruit characteristics.

A.D.Rattray

Appearance

A very light gold, white wine in colour, with a nice thick swirl line that beads up and drops thick legs. #thewhiskeychaps

Nose

Lots of germoline medicinal peat initially, lots of it. Then bubble gum, eucalyptus and bbq sauce and hot mashed potatoes, which I love 🥰. Almonds, pushing towards marzipan, arrive next, then icing sugar and cake frosting. #thewhiskeychaps

More time and it’s becoming sweeter for me in general. Turkish delight and cream soda come forward, and there’s a floral aroma too, the sweetness and the peat work perfectly for me. #thewhiskeychaps

Palate

Mouthfeel is good for an 8yrs old whisky, and that medicinal/coastal peat with sweetness in the background are all here. It’s nice and warming too. Cooked bacon, bbq embers, germoline, a touch of petrichor, and a little salinity too. #thewhiskeychaps

Icing sugar pierces the peat every time I sip this. Pineapple on gammon, blood oranges, chocolate orange, and red berries too all pile in, and it stays lovely and warming. #thewhiskeychaps

Finish

Long side of medium in length, and it’s a continuation of the bulk of the palate with cherry syrup in black coffee, hazelnuts and Virginia tobacco leaves. #thewhiskeychaps

My thoughts

I have tasted distillery and independently bottled whiskies from Ardmore, and the indie bottles win every time for me. They really show off what can be crafted at Ardmore, and this is another wonderful example. It was really enjoyed by all of us on the tasting it was a part of, and to be honest i think there is more to find in this whisky, it just needs to be sat with for longer.

Personally i think this bottle is an absolute banger, and i’d very much enjoy a a bottle, it probably wouldn’t last too long either.

A big thank you goes out to Paul, Ben and Cliff for dramming along with us on the tasting this whisky was a part of. And huge thanks go out to Caryn Inglis, marketing manager at A.D.Rattray, for joining us, and for the extra information about the rest of the bottles available from their Cask Collection #66, and answering questions from me, until far too late on the evening.