Kilkerran 16 year old, 2020 US Edition

Going from good stuff (Ardmore) to good stuff (Kilkerran), but I won't make you sit through 12 reviews of Glengyle's single malt. Just three.

First up, the 2020 American release of the Kilkerran 16yo(!). My how that baby has grown! Also, good on the Mitchell folks for holding on to so many 2004 casks.

Each batch of the 16yo has its own cask mix. For instance the 2021 US edition was 75/25 bourbon/sherry and the 2022 European version is 70/30 bourbon/sherry. Today's batch was 98/2 bourbon/Madeira, a combo I kinda like, a light seasoning of alternative casks.

The 2016 round of the standard 12 year old (also distilled in 2004), was very good without being a knockout, to my palate. I'll pick up a newer batch of that before the price gets any worse. In the meantime, here's a 16...

Distillery: Glengyle

Owner: Mitchell's Glengyle Limited

Brand: Kilkerran

Region: Campbeltown

Age: 16 years (2004-2020)

Maturation: 98% bourbon casks / 2% madeira casks

Bottled for: U.S. of A.

Alcohol by Volume: 46%

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose begins with clay and smoked fish, with orange candy highlights. And it works. It seems to get younger as it sits, with pineapple, pear, yeast, and a sencha-like brothy note arriving next. After 45 minutes, the nose shifts to ocean water with a hint of mango.

A mix of sweet citrus fruits leads the palate, with medicinal hints in the corners. It picks up notes of ginger beer, toasted grains, manure, and salt after some time. It never gets too sweet.

It finishes with a menthol and ginger glow. Oranges, cereals, and salt float through the background, along with perhaps a whiff of manure.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

A good move by Glengyle, starting the 16 year olds with this sturdy batch. I ♥ the nose on this one, as it shifts phases (or faces?). The palate reads like a good everyday drinker, never really ascending from there, but I'll take that over all those cask-heavy Kilkerran limited editions. The 16 is likely a half step ahead of the 12yo, but keep in mind the Springbank/Glengyle tendency towards batch variation. Better and worse versions of each are out there.

Availability - This batch is probably sold out
Pricing - other batches are $150-$200
Rating - 87

Concluding the Ardmore Cluster

(Ardmore cluster homepage)

I'm pretty sure I am the only one who benefitted from this cluster. Here are the things I "learned":

1. Ardmore is a very very very good single malt.
2. When matured in hogsheads it can be too young, too oaky, or fabulous.
3. When matured, even partially, in sherry casks it can be amazing or not.

We all knew this, yes?

The intent behind this cluster really wasn't to glean any deep understanding of the Great and Powerful Ard. Rather, I wanted to greet 2023 with a dozen pours of decently aged malt from this Kennethmont distillery as a way to convince the universe that this January didn't need to be the 37th month of 2020; like a prayer to appease the Whisky Kami, Whisky Buddhas, and Whisky Ganesha. And with all that heresy, I've probably doomed us all. At least the whisky was good.

The cluster did bring the blog its first and second 90+ point non-1992 Ardmores, including my Whisky Doris bottle, and possibly the best sherry cask Ardmore I've ever had. In fact, the cluster members were so good overall that I forgot there was one semi-stinker. But the most satisfying result was the proof that there isn't just one magical Ardmore vintage (aka 1992), rather the distillery's direct fired stills produced excellent stuff right up until the end. As for the steam-coil heated stills......that's a tale for another day.

Ardmore 22 year old 2000 WhiskySponge, edition 69

(Ardmore cluster homepage)

It's time to finish up this cluster with its second dark sherry cask Ardmore. As I'd mentioned in the G&M cask review, I tend to prefer bourbon cask Ardmores, but that sherried hoggie was awesome. Today's whisky had a different life. It spent its final two years in a sherry butt, and the first 20 in at least two refill hogsheads. Thus, it's a single cask that really isn't. But is it good?

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: WhiskySponge
Age: 22 years (1997 - 2022)
Maturation: 20 years in hogshead, two years in a first fill sherry butt
Outturn: 541 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 54.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose arrives with an oaky California pinot noir note. Once the red wine slips away, the cask remains. Butter, raspberry jam, almond butter and a hint of pipe tobacco fill the front and middle; cinnamon, brown sugar and a touch of tar in the back. There's less sweetness on the palate than expected, more walnuts and roots (a good thing IMHO). Dark chocolate, almond butter and metal develop with time. It becomes earthier and bitterer too. Lots of dark chocolate, mint leaves and roots in the finish. A little bit of smoke and oranges as well.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Nuts, butter, orange peel and toffee in the nose. The palate has become almost all bitter roots and earth, with a touch of berry sweetness in the background. The finish is more dusty than smoky, with smaller notes of bitterness and mint candy.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though it's far from matching the aforementioned Gordon & MacPhail cask, this Ardmore works well in its own way. The palate has its act together, as opposed to the.....extremely contemporary-styled nose. There aren't many reviews of these two WhiskySponge Ardmores online — the Whiskybase folks have barely touched it and Whiskyfun hasn't said anything — so I'll reference Good Sir Opinions again. As he noted, the finishing cask seems to have covered up most/all of the Ardmore element of this Ardmore. Luckily the result is nutty and earthy. Thus this is an Ardmore for sherry cask fans rather than Ardmore fans.

Availability - Still available as of the date of this post

Pricing - £235

Rating - 86

Ardmore 24 year old 1997 WhiskySponge, edition 76

(Ardmore cluster homepage)

The final two members of this Ardmore cluster were bottled by Mr. WhiskySponge himself. I'm not sure why I saved them for last, but pre-tasting nosings tell me they're different than the other ten in this series. Starting with the Sponge's refill hoggie, the oldest non-sherry cask of the group...

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: WhiskySponge
Age: 24 years (1997 - 2022)
Maturation: refill hogshead
Outturn: 250 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 52.4%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose arrives intensely piney, with crushed lemongrass and pickle brine (MGP-style) in the background. Notes of lox and lemon candy develop after a 20+ minutes. Oh my ganja, the palate. Wow. Uh okay, yeah, "hops" and dried oregano, grapefruit, pineapple, and some of the nose's pine. Then mezcal and metal and a whiff of peppery smoke. It finishes mostly peppery and metallic with some pineapple and IPA in the back.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or >¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose is a little more Ardmoreish now, with more beach and stones, rather than pine. Some rock candy in there as well. The palate indeed turns more towards hops than "hops". A bit more vibrant overall, sweeter and rootier, but still quite metallic. Its finish lingers sugar-free, plenty bitter and metallic.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

My Annoying Opinions reviewed his part of the bottle split two weeks ago. We found different notes and he seems to have liked it better than I, but we both were disappointed with this whisky that reads younger than its age. Devoid of the charm and grace found in the cluster's other 24 year old, this malt feels like it wasn't done cooking when it was bottled. May I dare suggest that a second maturation — like Sponge's other Ardmore — could have helped a little? Yes, this is me that's tut-tutting a spirit-forward whisky. I'll shut up now.

Availability - Still available as of the date of this post

Pricing - £230

Rating - 84

Things I Really Drink: Ardmore 21 year old 1997 Whisky-Doris, cask 901456

(Ardmore cluster homepage)

Whisky-Doris's white label Ardmore masterpieces were pivotal to my palate's development. It's as if I needed them to show me what I actually like. Ten years ago, I was into BIG flavors. Overwhelming peat, thick sherry influence, or ryes of considerable size. Hyperbolic whiskies led to hyperbolic reviews. But Whisky-Doris's monochrome bottles held '92 Ardmore single malt that dialed the smoke down to 4, citrus up to 6, salt to 5, sweetness to 3......

I just looked back at my last Ardmore TIRD, and discovered I wrote essentially the same thing. It's not that I'm getting old, it's that I tell the same stories over and over. But this habit surely won't worsen with age.

Back to this tale. I bought today's 1997 whisky because Ardmore + Whisky-Doris. It cost 60% more than the '92s did eight years earlier, but I was happy to make questionable monetary decisions during the those early pandemic months because I was depressed AF. Anyway, Ardmore!

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Whisky-Doris
Age: 21 years (November 1997 - June 2019)
Maturation: hogshead
Cask #: 901456
Outturn: 180 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 49.4%  ← there's that low abv again!
(from the upper third of my bottle)

NEAT

The nose starts with peaches, mangoes, and orange peels. Wood smoke, marzipan, and milk chocolate fill in the open spaces. The fruit gradually smothers it all. The palate arrives "totally in tune" (per my notes). Salt + savory + smoke + sweet citrus. "It's kinda perfect." As if more was needed, dried herbal and tart lemon notes grow with time. Ah, the multi-gear finish. First gear: brine, grapefruits, oranges, and a subtle sweetness. Second gear: savory smoke. Third gear: bitter herbs and grapefruit (again).

DILUTED to 46%abv, or ½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose is all wet stones and peaches and bacon and yes. The palate is fruitier, mintier. Plenty of salt and savory remain, but less smoke. The mangoes in the background carry over into the finish, along with ultra-tart citrus and salt.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I treasure this run of excellent TIRD bottles (see here and here and here, and yes I'm ignoring less than excellent bottles, but that's not the point, and this shouldn't be within the parenthetical anyway). As noted above and in a previous post, many '90s Ardmores have curiously low ABVs, no matter who bottles the casks. And it works. I'm also happy to say that this one can take a little bit of water as well. One question remains, will I open my next Ardmore in 2024, or will I be unable to wait that long? Answer: I'll enjoy this one in the moment.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - €160 w/VAT in 2020
Rating - 90

Ardmore 21 year old 1998 Thompson Brothers

(Ardmore cluster homepage)

The brothers Thompson from Dornoch got themselves into the indie bottling business six and a half years ago, wisely getting their hooks into at least six casks of Ardmore, two of which held spirit distilled in 1998. Today's cask duked it out with this week's other two Ardmores. Who won the day (other than me)?

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Phil and Simon Thompson
Age: 21 years (1998 - 2019)
Maturation: refill hogshead
Outturn: 256 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 51.5%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

A Caol Ila-style peat envelops apricots, citrons, roses and jasmine in the nose. An early toasty note slowly develops into a beach style similar to yesterday's '96. The palate begins very smoky and peppery, reading almost Islay-like at the start. Sea salt, tart citrus, and green bell pepper highlight the mid- and backgrounds. Not much sweetness going on. It all gets very peppery with time. More salt and bitterness in the finish. Lemons and citrons as well. Smoke residue and hot sauce linger longest.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or ¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Much of the nose's peat has been replaced by broken stones, vegetable skins, and citrons, with a hint of fennel seed in the back. The palate gains a great herbal bitterness and mineral smoke, with a sweet orange float on top. It finishes with peppery smoke and the sweet citrus.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This one is more of a brawler than yesterday's Ardmore, smokier and pepperier. I might even like it better, especially once it's diluted. It also illustrates my silly opinion that Ardmore can read like a relative of Caol Ila, with a little less (though similar) peat and more fruit once it gets into its twenties. This time though, the phenolics remain high, while the fruit rests mostly in the nose, all merging well with minerals and pepper.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - €140-ish?
Rating - 88

Ardmore 20 year old 1996 Old Malt Cask, cask HL13770

(Ardmore cluster homepage)

I'm fascinated by how many 18-22 year '90s Ardmores are bottled at ~49%abv. It's not just the quick alcohol drop that interests me, it's the consistency. The parcel of '92 indie Ardmores that knocked me out of my boots were all 48-49%abv, and the majority of this cluster's casks are 49-51%. For instance, today's Ardie is part of the Old Malt Cask range that normally bottles its whiskies at a reduced 50%abv, going higher only for exclusive releases. But this one was bottled at 49.3%abv, cask strength. I'm not complaining here. 48-49%abv tends to be the money spot for my palate. Maybe Ardmore and I were meant to be together.

Oops, the sample was completed and the bottle recycled before I took a pic!

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Hunter Laing
Range: Old Malt Cask
Age: 20 years (Oct 1996 - Apr 2017)
Maturation: refill hogshead
Cask #: HL 13770
Outturn: 278 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 49.3%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

It's a beachy Ardmore, as its nose lifts off with brine and distant rotting kelp. A little bit of mesquite smoke as well. Flowers, bananas, pineapple and yuzu slowly fill it out. The palate is very toasty (nuts and grains) and salty. Shortbread, limes and a mild sweetness in the midground, savoriness and wood smoke in the back. It finishes with limes, shortbread and wood smoke, as well as subtler notes sugar and salt.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or ½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose holds onto its beach note, but picks up some cherries and more smoke. Leaner now, the palate is mostly minerals and cracked pepper. Tarter limes and less sweetness. The finish is all ginger candy and peppercorns.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This is an example of a clean, lean 20 year old single malt with just a touch of oak influence. The palate somehow tops the very good nose. Had the finish more oomph, this could have pushed the 90-point mark. Instead it's merely great. And I'm satisfied with that.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 87

Ardmore 22 year old 1997 SMWS 66.174

(Ardmore cluster homepage)

This, the oldest of this week's four SMWS 23/10/1997s, had the lightest color, while the youngest was the darkest. Yet, once again, the hues had no bearing on the whiskies' qualities. Still, I like me some five-beer piss(-colored whisky). And the liquid inside this sample bottle looks the part.

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 22 years (23 October 1997 - ???)
Maturation: refill bourbon hogshead
Cask#: 66.174, "A vintage dinner suit"
Outturn: 259 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 56.1%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

All kinds of textures in the nose! First there's pork loin with a citrus sauce. Apples, lemons, brown sugar and wood smoke in the middle. Guava and incense in the back. The palate is very earthy, with moderate mineral and smoke notes behind it. Limes and oranges mix with a hint of wood spice. Bits of bitterness, salt and honey float through the background. Earth, lemons and honey in the finish's front with a rooty bitterness in the distance.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose is very smoky and porky, with a strong whiff of hot concrete. Notes of basil, orange liqueur, and snickerdoodles stay mild throughout. The palate simplifies. Malt, herbal bitterness, and roasted nuts up front. Savoriness and Amrut-ish ginger in the back. The finish matches the palate while adding a squeeze of grapefruit.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

It's close race, but this one wins the week for me. The neat nose's variety lines up well, while the neat palate hits that earth + citrus style I always enjoy. It can swim too, but I prefer it at full strength. This week's Ardmore quartet shares some notes, like honey, cinnamon, apples, and minerals, but are each their own individual single malt, demonstrating the little-bit-of-alchemy-and-a-whole-lotta-chemistry pleasure of aged spirits.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 88

Ardmore 22 year old 1997 SMWS 66.168

(Ardmore cluster homepage)

In Tuesday's post, I wrote, "On Thursday, the 23rd of October 1997......at least 20 refill hogsheads were filled with Ardmore distillery's newmake, hogsheads destined for Scotch Malt Whisky Society's warehouses." The first eight of that cask score was released as is, no finishes. But the next 12 were finished in wine or fortified wine casks. Did SMWS get bored? Did SMWS members get bored? Did the casks get bored?

All four of the casks I'm reviewing this week (plus the one I reviewed in 2020) were part of that first group of eight refill hoggies. Though I'm not religiously opposed to those finished whiskies, I'm also not feeling terribly motivated to source samples. I'm more interested in trying the direct-fired spirit after a two decade nap. The spirit's nap, I mean. Though I could really use a two decade nap right about now.

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 22 years (23 October 1997 - ???)
Maturation: refill bourbon hogshead
Cask#: 66.168, "Wafts you to heaven"
Outturn: 287 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 51.6%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Blunt smoke mixing with briny beach air, a good way to start a nose. Dried apricots, honey, and nutritional yeast fill the background. The mineral palate has mild bitter and sweet notes, hints of orange and ginger. Some wood smoke. It gets equally sweeter and bitterer with time. It finishes with a honey and dried apricot sweetness, some ginger zippiness, and a whiff of smoke.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or ¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

It smells like it's going to be a real sweetie, full of mangoes, honey, and coconut cream. Reads mossier than smoky. Some molasses in the back. Sure enough, it's a peated sugar cookie on the simple palate. Hints of cigars and dried thyme, here and there. Like the palate, the finish is simpler, with quiet notes of oranges, ginger, and cigars.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

A simple huggable Ardmore, cask 66.168 is tough to criticize and even harder to swoon for. But it does what it needs to do, especially since it was sold in an era when 20+ year old single casks didn't cost 250 quid. An era that was a mere three years ago. Anyway, you've heard that song already. I preferred this whisky neat, though the nose works very well either way.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - around £130 in 2020?
Rating - 86

Ardmore 21 year old 1997 SMWS 66.146

(Ardmore cluster homepage)

This is the second of four single SMWS hogsheads of Ardmore with the same distillation date, 23 October 1997. I tried them all side-by-side, neat and diluted. Each was different, though often sharing a characteristic or two. Yesterday's 1997 worked very nicely with a little bit of dilution. This one is probably a few months older, yet has a much lighter color.

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 21 years (23 October 1997 - ????)
Maturation: refill bourbon hogshead
Cask#: 66.146, "Sensational sweet smoky ‘noble rot’"
Outturn: 244 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 51.9%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Like yesterday's pour, this whisky's nose begins with apples and gunpowder, but then it goes in a different direction. Cheddar cheese and water crackers meet flowers and pears. But the gunpowder note keeps growing and growing. The palate is......a thing. Buttery, bitter, and acidic at first, it's actually kind of unpleasant. But then the sweetness arrives, bringing oranges and lots of caramel, washing away most of the difficult notes, but adding little depth. The acidity stays into the finish, as does the caramel, with hints of black pepper and lemon in the background.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or ¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose is like some sort of snickerdoodle-laced newmake, which is not as good as it sounds. Meanwhile, the palate improves a little bit. More smoke and oranges. Cinnamon and dried oregano. But it's also a little bit papery, and the acidity continues to linger. The finish has gotten briefer, but is a pleasant mix of cinnamon, lemons and sugar.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Every Ardmore can't be great. And this one isn't great. Cheese and sulfur don't pair well, and the palate feels a touch off, making me wonder what was going on with the cask. The whisky can probably be better salvaged with more dilution, but I don't see it ever lifting off. Maybe something went wrong with my sample because other people like the whisky quite a bit. That's okay, there's more Ard!

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - maybe £95?
Rating - 78

Ardmore 20 year old 1997 SMWS 66.138

(Ardmore cluster homepage)

On Thursday, the 23rd of October 1997, tornadoes wrecked Southeastern Texas, Starship Troopers asked filmgoers if they'd like to know more, Luther George Simjian (inventor of the teleprompter) shuffled off this mortal coil, and at least 20 refill hogsheads were filled with Ardmore distillery's newmake, hogsheads destined for Scotch Malt Whisky Society's warehouses.

I have tried one of those 20 SMWS hogsheads. Now I am going to sample four more side-by-side.

First up, a 20 year old.

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 20 years (23 October 1997 - 2018)
Maturation: refill bourbon hogshead
Cask#: 66.138, "Deep, rich and burnt fruit"
Outturn: 265 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 52.4%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Apple chips, gunpowder, and stones on the nose, followed by milder notes of manure and burning hay. Reads like a rustic calvados. The palate starts of smoky, peppery and mineral(ly), with a hint of tangy citrus. That citrus note grows, getting sweeter and slightly metallic with time. It finishes with pepper, cocoa, and apples, growing sweeter with successive sips.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or > ¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose is maltier and fruitier now with green grapes and in-season pears. More mossy than smoky. Good dose of cinnamon and sugar. Mossy, woody smoke mixes with gingery molasses chews, stones, and salt on the palate. The finish matches the palate, and adds a lime.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This youngest of the quartet was also by far the darkest in color. Thankfully that didn't equate to an oaky pour. The neat nose's sulfured calvados style was a bit odd, but the slight dilution turned it into something very nice. Water also changed the palate into something I'd be happy to drink again and again. To recap: neat = curious and awkward; diluted = brighter and cuddlier.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - around £110 in 2018
Rating - 88 (diluted only)

Ardmore 21 year old 1998 Single Malts of Scotland, cask 750753

(Ardmore cluster homepage)

Because today's whisky (from a non-sherried cask, this time) is one of the rare Ardmores to have made it across the Atlantic, I made a concerted to try it. I liked it, but took no notes. And if an experience was not detailed online, then it never happened. Thus I was happy to have scored a sample of it via a bottle split last year. So now a thing will happen.

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)

Independent Bottler: Elixir Drinks
Series: Single Malts of Scotland

Age: 21 years old (27 May 1998 - 1 November 2019)

Maturation: Hogshead
Cask #: 750753

Outturn: 247 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 50.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

A very naked Ardmore. L'eau de vie de l'océan (I probably did that wrong), concrete, seaweed, and lox fill the nose. Peaches in syrup, raspberry jam, and hints of roses linger in the background. The palate reads like good new make with the edges trimmed off. It's mostly bitter herbs, sea salt, lemongrass, and a hint of peach. Some Caol Ila-ish peat floats around in there too. Its finish is a bit of a palate-shaver, like a raw baby whisky. Very salty and seaweedy, with a hint of lemon. Stronger than the ABV leads on.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or ½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Ah there it is, on the nose, the snuffed beach bonfire. *sigh* Some rotting kelp in the midground, flowers and lemons in the back. The palate has become bitterer, harsher, very edgy. There's a touch of sweetness to it, but also a hint of soap. It finishes bitter and salty.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

With its very youthful style, this Ardmore should have batted leadoff. Because of the whisky's rawness, one's nose is welcomed while one's palate is battered. The two senses diverge further after the whisky has been diluted. It's a fighter, though certainly a crisp winter pour, and I'd still choose it over my bottle of 6 year old Ardlair that I'll never finish. It's still available in The States, but the price keeps me away, despite the wonderful sniffer.

Availability - It can be found
Pricing - $200-$230

Rating - 85

Ardmore 24 year old 1996 Gordon & MacPhail, cask 3515

(Ardmore cluster homepage)

The youngest member of this cluster needed a sparring partner, and one presented itself. The oldest member of the cluster. Both were bottled by indie grandpa Gordon & MacPhail after the spirits had been encased in refill sherry hogsheads.

This 1996 is indeed darker than the 2003, though it was also distilled in direct coal fired stills. Early '90s Ardmore is consistently gorgeous, so I'm itching to find out how this '96 holds up.

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)

Independent Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Series: Connoisseurs Choice

Age: 24 years old (27 June 1996 - 29 March 2021)

Maturation: refill sherry hogshead
Cask #: 3515

Batch #: 21/077

Outturn: 219 bottles

Exclusive to: Spiritual Home, Scotland

Alcohol by Volume: 52.0%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Dunnage notes frame orange peels, dried raspberries, dried blueberries, and dark chocolate in the nose. Menthol notes arrive later, followed by that snuffed beach bonfire note that I love so. The palate is very earthy, with a moderate smoke level. Key lime pie and orange creamsicles, dark chocolate and mocha in the back. Walnuts and mint in the middle. The "looooong" finish holds oranges up front, earth, walnuts and mint in the midground, smoke and industry in the background.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or ¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Oooh, it got even better. Ocean, toffee, mixed nuts, lots of lemon, and a pitch perfect mix of industry and farm in the nose. The palate "feels old school". It's boldly mineral, earthy and herbal, with Rainier cherries, walnuts and toffee in the background. The finish doesn't lose its length. It's mostly that wonderful mix of earth, stones and herbs, with a hint of those fresh cherries in the back.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

My gawd. Normally, I'm a 100% bourbon oak Ardmore fellow, but this whisky is excellent. I can't think of a sherry cask Ardmore I've enjoyed more. Beach, farm, industry, soil, rocks, fruits, dunnage, yeah. If you think I'm crazy(er), please see this review from Monsieur Angus who compares it to 1960s Springbank. There seems to be an art to sherry cask maturation that has nearly been lost. Nearly.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???

Rating - 91 (maybe more)

Ardmore 17 year old 2003 Gordon & MacPhail, cask 598 for K&L

(Ardmore cluster homepage)

This Ardmore cluster begins with the baby of the bunch, a 17 year old refill sherry hoggie bottled for California retailer, K&L Wine Merchants. This is the only one of the dozen cluster members that was distilled after Ardmore switched from direct coal fired stills to indirect steam heated stills. I tend to prefer the older process (of course), but I'm always rooting for this distillery so I'll try the newer stuff.

Six years ago, G&M released a 2002 sherried beast of an Ardmore, a bottle I enjoyed only at full strength. Let's see if this 2003 works...

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)

Independent Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Series: Connoisseurs Choice

Age: 17 years old (2003 - 20 August 2021)

Maturation: Refill sherry hogshead
Cask #: 598

Batch #: 21/178

Outturn: 196 bottles

Exclusive to: K&L Wine Merchants

Alcohol by Volume: 54.9%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

An entertaining mix of coffee, tar, eucalyptus, and moss starts off the nose. Some cloves and cranberry juice appear next. There's also something reminiscent of the cask heavy armagnacs from L'Encantada. The bold palate is all cigarettes and Chambord at first. There's some salty bacon and good brisk bitterness in the middle. Hints of lemon in the back. The long finish is full of salt, berries, grass smoke and citrus.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or < 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose has gotten a little funkier and nuttier; notes of dried apricots, raw almonds, smoke, and stones mostly, with an industrial hint in there. The palate gets smokier, with herbs and grasses in the midground, lime and salt in the background. It finishes with herbal smoke and a touch of dried fruit sweetness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This was better than I had expected. Possibly better than my bottle of the 2002 G&M. Its contemporary approach to Ardmore, with lots of smoke and cask influence, probably makes it a good place to start this cluster. Good news: The sherry cask + peat combo worked. Not-exactly-good-news-on-Diving-for-Pearls: This whisky could have come from any one of 20+ other distilleries. So I can say it was well-produced, and I may have considered a bottle at a lower price.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - $140

Rating - 87

Welcome 2023! Here's an Ardmore Cluster!

Having been a refuge for the coronavirus on the third week of the year......and then again on the third-to-last week of the year, then burying my last grandparent, and being involuntarily moved to the most difficult job of my life, I am happy to see 2022 in the rearview mirror. But the year wasn't a total bust. I started dating. Yeah, watch out, ladies. Ladies?

**crickets wanking**

Oh yeah, I don't have any non-male readers anymore. It's a veritable snausage festival up in here, so I'm just gonna manspread while I type the rest of this.

Back in August, I tweeted this:

On this, my 44th birthday, I would like to thank the Scotch whisky industry for convincing me to get back to buying American whisky again. Thank you. 🫶

— kravitz underscore hubris (@kravitz_hubris) August 24, 2022

As a result I'm going to bring sexy Bourbon and Rye Day Friday back in March.

I've gotten requests for more Killing Whisky History videos (yes, really), so I'm going to try to do a few this new year.

And clusters? Here's one!

It's about damned time I had some Ardmore, so I'm going to start the year with a month of 'em. Each of the 12, except the first, will be from the direct-fired stills-era (specifically 1996-2000 in this case) and bottled at 20 or more years of age. If you don't already know, I adore this distillery, but I've never lined up multiple Ardmores side-by-side. I may even open up one of my own bottles. Yes, you read that correctly.

Will Ardmore and I still have warm feelings for each other at the end of this cluster? Or will 2023 begin with whisky heartbeak? Stay tuned!

(For more on Ardmore's history, please see this mini three-part series. Part One. Part Two. Part Three.)

ARDMORE ROLL CALL:

1. Ardmore 17 year old 2003 Gordon & MacPhail, cask 598 for K&L - "...contemporary approach to Ardmore, with lots of smoke and cask influence..."

2. Ardmore 24 year old 1996 Gordon & MacPhail, cask 3515 - "Beach, farm, industry, soil, rocks, fruits, dunnage, yeah."

3. Ardmore 21 year old 1998 Single Malts of Scotland, cask 750753 - "A very naked Ardmore."

4. Ardmore 20 year old 1997 SMWS 66.138 - "To recap: neat = curious and awkward; diluted = brighter and cuddlier."

5. Ardmore 21 year old 1997 SMWS 66.146 - "Every Ardmore can't be great. And this one..."

6. Ardmore 22 year old 1997 SMWS 66.168 - "A simple huggable Ardmore...it does what it needs to do..."

7. Ardmore 22 year old 1997 SMWS 66.174 - "...the neat palate hits that earth + citrus style I always enjoy."

8. Ardmore 20 year old 1996 Old Malt Cask, cask HL13770 - "...a clean, lean 20 year old single malt with just a touch of oak influence."

9. Ardmore 21 year old 1998 Thompson Brothers - "...more of a brawler...a relative of Caol Ila..."

10. Ardmore 21 year old 1997 Whisky-Doris, cask 901456 - "It's kinda perfect."

11. Ardmore 24 year old 1997 WhiskySponge, edition 76 - "...reads younger than its age...feels like it wasn't done cooking when it was bottled."

12. Ardmore 22 year old 2000 WhiskySponge, edition 69 - "...an Ardmore for sherry cask fans rather than Ardmore fans."
Cluster Conclusion