The Rum Dummy drinks Clarendon 37 year old 1984 Thompson Brothers

After being kicked off this site for trying to be funny and not being funny, I'm back!!!

And there's a good reason too. Kravitz found out that he wasn't very funny either. Last month, a woman left him because he thought he was sooooooo hilarious. Yes, she ditched him for it. He thought he got jokes, but instead he got dumped. It's true! [Ed. note: Dude.]

Also he has a lot of rum samples and, as you can tell, the guy can barely deliver his scotch reviews on time. So I figured I'd grab a 37 year old rum before I get kicked off this site again.

What is the difference between a Clarendon, a Clairin, and a Claritin? I don't know, I am the wrong person to ask. And if I came up with an actual punchline, I'd be sacked again.

Clarendon 37 year old 1984 Thompson Brothers for Auld Alliance, 62%abv

Hot stuff. I think it was aged for 34 years in Jamaica and three years in Scott Land. The Thompsons usually do whisky things, so I don't know where they got a rum cask from. Probably Jamaica.

Nose - Yummy. Milk chocolate, warm toffee, lots of vanilla extract. But there's also something good weird going on behind the pretty stuff. There are rotting black walnuts, olives, root beer, and chicory. And no, I did not add water. Because.

Palate - Mint leaves and black licorice rubbed in the dirt. Lemons. Something milky. It's not what I thought it was going to taste like. It also has a Clement (yes, the Rum Dummy drinks other rums and doesn't understand them either) herbal thing going on. It's very salty and has a kind of bitterness that I've never tasted before. I'd like to add that it doesn't burn like 62%abv. If everything this strong drank this easily I'd already be dead and Kravitz would be calling me The Dumb Rummy.

Finish - It's like licking stones. And there's that weird bitterness, which I kinda like. Burnt coffee and burnt grapefruit?

Yay old rum! But I'm very confused by the process that takes booze from one former brutalized British property, ages it some more in a current brutalized British property, only to sell it in another former brutalized British property. No wonder this liquor is so bitter.

Uh oh. I think that was a joke. Will Diving for Pearls allow me back? Gosh I hope so, because he has Uitvlugt. Uitvlugt! Funny, right? How about Uitvlugt bottled by Murray McDavid?

NOT WHISKY RATING: B

Old Perth 21 year old 1996 Blended Malt (54.9%abv)

One more sherried blended malt and then we can call it a week. Almost six years ago, I bought a bottle of Old Perth 21yo 1996 blindly. I'm not sure why I did that, but luckily the whisky was really good! A few years later, my friends, the Doctors Springbank, bought a 22yo 1996 Old Perth. Like the 21yo, it was a deeply hued sherry cask thing. The sample they provided has been sitting in my sample stash for nearly three years. Sorry, Doctors, for the delay!

pic source

Company: Morrison and Mackay
Brand: Old Perth

Type: Blended (or Vatted) Malt

Distilleries: ???

Age: 22 years (1996-2018)
Maturation: single sherry cask, maybe a hogshead?
Outturn: 283 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 54.9%

NEAT

A big nose on this one, with orange marmalade, honey, oregano, leather, and something metallic right up front. Walnuts and dried currants in the back. There's an industrial side to the palate, with coal smoke and that metallic note. Black walnuts and tart citrus fill the middle, heat and a subtle woodiness stay in the background. It finishes with sweeter citrus, dried cherries, a little bit of smoke, and a lot of heat.

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

The nose calms down and focuses on oranges, walnuts, applesauce, and canned peaches. Meanwhile the palate intensifies, now much oakier, pepperier, and sourer. And, curiously, hotter. It finishes with oranges, lemons, and tannins.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

My palate really prefers this one neat, thought it smells great either way. The whisky's lack of generic sherry cask notes, and the emphasis on citrus and walnuts, makes me think the vatting's ingredients were from bourbon casks, and the finishing vessel was seasoned with a particularly dry Oloroso. It's good, hearty stuff without water added, then gets consumed by the cask(s) once it's diluted. Keep it neat, and enjoy it during mild winter evenings!

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - was probably below £100 five years ago
Rating - 85 (neat only)

"Rich Fruity Sherry" 36 year old 1980 Cadenhead Creations

I had thought I'd scheduled three vatted (or blended) malts this week, but but lo and behold today's 36yo Cadenhead Creation is a blended whisky, which means the grain stuff is present. Though I don't know the ratio of malt to grain, the ingredients are known and I've listed them in the data below. (Hint: It's a Highland Distillers special!)

Ye olde Campbeltown bottler first produced a "Rich Fruity Sherry" blended whisky back in 2013, though that one was all of 20 years old. In 2016, this sequel materialized, darker, older, and more expensive. I matched it up against Monday's 40yo blended malt. Which one came out on top???

Bottler: Cadenhead

Range: Cadenhead Creations

Type: Blended Whisky

Distilleries: Highland Park, Macallan, Tamdhu, and Invergordon

Age: minimum 36 years (1980 - 2016)

Maturation: 2 sherry butts
Outturn: ???

Alcohol by Volume: 44.5%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The fresh, perky nose starts off with loads of bright citrus peels, mint leaf, and basil leaf. Some dates here, a hint of peach skin there. The cask influence expands slowly with coffee, maple syrup, and baking spices. It gets heavier and stickier with time until it's a mix of nocino and port.

Up front, the palate reads woodier and dustier than the nose. Combinations of stone fruits and honeys try to battle back the oak with mixed success as caramel and tingly oak spice rise from beneath. A few lemons appear in the final sip.

The same oak spice, and a puff of wood smoke, lead the finish. It doesn't get too bitter, and some tart citrus liven it up. Sweetness appears at the very end.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Unlike the exhausted casks of Cadenhead's 43yo blend, this whisky's oak stays plenty strong......to the point it makes me wonder how late into the game the two sherry butts were utilized for the four ingredients. Any lovely signs of those old Highland Distillers goodies evaded me. Invergordon may have been the loudest ingredient (aside from the oak), possibly because the malts were underproof. I didn't use any question marks in this paragraph, but this Cadenhead Creation left me with only questions. Stirk's 40yo vatted malt was the clear winner between the two oldies.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - also in the $300 range?
Rating - 84

The Exclusive Blended Malt 40 year old 1977 Creative Whisky Company

Some of David Stirk's best Creative Whisky Company releases were his blends — I'd still love to track down a bottle of the 20yo 1994 blended malt someday somehow — so I recently leapt at the opportunity to be part of a bottle split of CWC's 40 year old 1977 vatting. This oldie came from sherry butts and I'm not sure of its ingredients nor its outturn. At 42.9%abv, some elements needed bottling/blending before they were no longer "whisky", but that doesn't mean it those parts were bad, they just needed some TLC ASAP, and CWC was able to provide that service. And now it's time to run that whisky through my liver.

Bottler: The Creative Whisky Company

Range: Exclusive Blends

Type: Blended (or Vatted) Malt

Distilleries: ???

Age: minimum 40 years (1977 - 201?)

Maturation: sherry butts
Outturn: ???

Alcohol by Volume: 42.9%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

It's like nosing the inside of a gorgeous old cask in a dunnage, an earthy, musty smell that cannot be rushed. The sherry leans towards Palo Cortado or drier Olorosos, so more nuts (walnuts, pecans, Brazils) are present than dried fruits. Candied orange peels sneak in around the edges.

Dunnage and mushroom-ish umami notes lead the palate, with yuzus and limes in the midground. Hints of dates, tobacco, and wormwood float through the background. Oak does edge in slowly over time, but it brings much more spice than generic bitterness.

The long finish offers cloves, dried mint, and yuzu juice, as well as hints of menthol and anise.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This would have been another great bottle to own, and that's not just because the whisky was old. A blend can indeed go wrong when its ingredients have three or four decades on them. The structure may become frail and/or woody bitterness can take over. This vatting was bottled just in time, before those problems set in. So it's extremely drinkable, never too sweet, never too bitter, and a delight to nose.

Up next, a 36 year old blend from another indie bottler...

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - I don't think it was much more than $300
Rating - 88

Mannochmore 18 year old 1990, Special Release 2009

Enjoying a pair of great, young, spirity Mannochmores was one of this week's highlights. Drinking shouldn't be the highlight of a healthy person's week, but who said I was a healthy person?

Time to wrap up the fun with one of Diageo's Special Releases from back in the day when the releases were special. Though an 18-year-old Mannochmore was never going to leap off the shelves, it was nice for the braintrust behind Loch Dhu to offer a proper Mann to the masses.

Distillery: Mannochmore

Ownership: Diageo

Region: Speyside (Elgin)

Range: Special Relases

Age: 18 years (1990 - 23 April 2009)

Maturation: American oak and European oak casks

Outturn: 3210 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 54.9%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

In the nose, the fruits (peaches, apricots, honeydew) mix with florals and honey upfront. Dry sherry nuttiness stays just behind, with hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds as highlights. The first sip offers a curious burst of Petite Sirah that never returns in subsequent sips. Then tart blueberries, citrus peels, almonds, ginger, and mint take over. French oak-style baking spices arrive later, slowly consuming all else, while also contributing a silky texture. It finishes with blood oranges, mint, lemons, those French oak spices, and a subtle creaminess.

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

Baking spices and apricots start the nose, followed by orange creamsicles, golden raisins, and a hint of sugary pastry. The palate matches the nose here. Oranges and oak spices (cloves and ginger powder) meet mild florals, with the whole thing turning into oranges+ginger after a while. It finishes with cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and lemon peels.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Ah, here are some double standards. You'll note references to oak oak oak oak oak. But I like French oak notes, within reason, so this whisky fits my palate better than all the contemporary US oak monsters. Yet, this isn't as thrilling this week's previous two Mannochmores. It's a very good easy drinker that I wouldn't mind owning at whatever its 2009 price was, but........yeah, it's ultimately all about the casks here, not the Mannochmore.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ???
Rating - 86

Mannochmore 12 year old 2008 Lady of the Glen, cask 13959

I first tried today's Mannochmore at an event 2+ years ago, when Columbus Scotch Night started carefully phasing in in-person events post-Covid. This whisky was great, its price was not. But I did wind up taking home a generous sample. Two years later (last weekend), I enjoyed a Taste Off between two 2008 Mannochmores: this Lady of the Glen, and yesterday's Signatory.

pic source

Distillery: Mannochmore
Ownership: Diageo

Region: Speyside (Elgin)

Independent Bottler: Lady of the Glen

Age: 11 years (17 Oct 2008 - 12 Jul 2021)

Maturation: Hogshead
Cask number: 13959
Outturn: 328 bottles

Exclusive to: Dram Hunter

Alcohol by Volume: 55.3%
(from a paid event)

NEAT

Huzzah! Another fruity nose, with dried apricots, orange pixi stix, yuzu peel, and kiwi candy catching most of the attention. Subtler notes of lemongrass and roses linger behind. The brightly tart palate, leads with yuzus, grapefruits, and tart berries. The citrus turns a little bitterer with time as it tilts more towards the peels than the fruit. A little bit of toasted barley highlights the background. It finishes with tart and bitter citrus, with hints of cayenne pepper and salt.

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

Same fruits in the nose, though they seem more intense. The floral notes are gone. A hint of guava sneaks in later on. The palate comes in tarter, sharper, bitterer, more peppery. Less nuance, more violence. But still loaded with citrus. It finishes with peppercorns and citrus peels.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

A close relative to the Signatory UCF cask, this LotG hoggie reads a bit more forceful and less graceful, but it's still a great fruity single malt. In fact, this is a rare example of a fruity whisky that may drink better in winter than spring. Alas, I did not buy a bottle of this stuff because I didn't understand the price tag, which was twice what I, an actual Mannochmore fan, would pay. But if you want to drop two bills on something like this, I won't stop you.

Availability - Still available in the US
Pricing - $180-$200
Rating - 87 (neat only)

Mannochmore 11 year old 2008 Signatory UCF, cask 12243

For some of us who got into whisky 10-15 years ago, the Signatory Un-chillfiltered series may be the most influential whisky range. From the low-tech label to the "What is chillfiltered?" and "What do they mean, natural colour?" questions it encouraged, to the opportunity to try distilleries we couldn't otherwise find on the shelves, to the solid quality in every bottle, the UCFs propelled many whisky geeks forward. Sadly this range isn't as available in the US as it used to be, more cask-driven expressions have been introduced, and the metal tubes have been swapped out for more environmentally savvy cardboard replacements. Actually the last part is pretty sharp on Signatory's part, the other two factors less so.

I still snoop around the very few European retailers that offer the UCFs for something interesting, but rarely find anything that piques my whisky curiosity. But somehow, in the Covid-era, a Mannochmore UCF found its way to the United States, and it's very good.

Distillery: Mannochmore
Ownership: Diageo

Region: Speyside (Elgin)

Independent Bottler: Signatory
Range: Un-Chillfiltered Collection

Age: 11 years (17 Sept 2008 - 24 Jul 2020)

Maturation: Hogshead
Cask number: 12243
Outturn: ??? bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose starts off all fruits and barley: grapefruit, apricot, peach, and orange pixi stix. The barley element elevates with time, and minor notes of metal and anise drift in the background. It reminds me of late spring.

Lean and lemony, the palate possesses a nice balance of tart and sweet. No vanilla. Hints of horseradish, peppercorns, and barley stay in the back. A bright grapefruit note appears after 30+ minutes.

It finishes lemony, peppery, and warm, with just a hint of vanilla. Like on the palate, the grapefruit arrives later.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Had I lived in a more scotch-friendly state, I would have picked up a bottle or two of this Mannochmore when it arrived on our shores. It's a spirit-forward whisky, loaded with citrus and stone fruits, plenty of malted barley, and comfortable moreish charm. It's a quaint, though very welcome, style that feels almost mysterious and romantic at this point, and something that the scotch arena could use more of. I hope the Symington warehouses have plenty more of it.

Availability - Might still be around
Pricing - $70?
Rating - 88

Kavalan 7 year old 2009 Port Cask

I started the week with a wonderful Ardmore, and have since reviewed less wonderful Kavalans. One more Kavalan remains, a Port cask, specifically a barrique per the official site. So it ain't no big Port pipe, but a smaller cask. From a hot and humid warehouse. Yes, let's get this over with.

Distillery: Yuan Shan Distillery

Owner: King Car Group

Brand: Kavalan

Region: Yuanshan, Taiwan

Age: 7 years (26 June 2009 - 13 Jul 2016)

Maturation: Port Barrique

Cask #: O090629014A
Outturn: 178 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 58.6%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose is mellower than expected. Semi-sweet chocolate with raspberry filling starts things off, with hints of metal and flowers in the back. Orange peel and cinnamon slowly take over. A perfume note, similar to yesterday's Vinho Barrique, appears briefly at the palate's start then recedes quickly. Thank you, whisky gods. Raspberries and boysenberry jam mix with bitter citrus and ginger beer. Maybe a touch of root beer too. Yes, it's plenty sweet, but drinkable. Dried blueberries join the bitter citrus and ginger in the finish.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or < 1¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

It noses of mulled wine, big on the whole cloves and cinnamon sticks, with a little bit of blueberry jam as well. Dilution hushes the palate. Less sweetness, a bit more citrus and cocoa. Maybe some flowers. But that's about it. The finish is sweeter than the palate, full of grape jam and cinnamon.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Kavalan's actual spirit is nowhere to be found in this week's desserty trio, which shouldn't shock anyone who has tried Yuan Shan's single malt. Today's whisky works in its own way. It'd be nice with some vanilla ice cream, it's not too woody, and it's not too sweet. I'd drink it again, depending on the situation. This could compete with the Manzanilla cask in a head-to-head, but that's nothing to celebrate. I doubt I'll be chasing more Kavalan samples anytime soon.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 80

Kavalan 6 year old 2014 Vinho Barrique

Some of you saw the title of this review and were like, "😐. Kavalan + a sweet wine cask = predictable review." But hold on a second! I've liked the few Kavalan Vinho Barriques I've tried. Though they've all been a bit wild and sweet, they were also anything but boring. I'll take a vinho barrique over an immature bourbon cask or yesterday's situation, when it comes to Kavalan. However, my expectations are not set high, though I do hope for some sort of whisky miracle here.

Distillery: Yuan Shan Distillery

Owner: King Car Group

Brand: Kavalan

Region: Yuanshan, Taiwan

Age: 6 years (11 June 2014 - 27 Aug 2020)

Maturation: Vinho Barrique

Cask #: W140611004A
Outturn: 192 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 57.8%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose begins with a zany combination of plum wine, ginger, cinnamon, and Robotussin. It picks up notes of apricots, blackberry jam, and flowers after 20 minutes. Uh, the palate. Yeah. It's VERY perfumed. It takes a while for the 'buds to clear through the haze to find grapefruit, ginger, cherry syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla. After 40 minutes it gets aggressively bitter. It finishes with apricots, cherry candy, ginger, vanilla, and rosewater. It is very sweet.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose still leads with plum wine, but now there's salted caramel, toasted oak, orange peel, and flowers. Less perfume in the palate. But soooooo much sugar, and an odd (but welcome) savoriness. It finishes very tangy, with smaller notes of vanilla, black pepper, and rosewater.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

😐 indeed. This cask's palate is almost broken when the whisky is served neatly. Its perfume assault is unmatched outside of '80s Bowmore. And then the bitterness kicks in. At least the addition of water brings it into the drinkable realm. On the other hand, the nose's weirdness is approachable and enjoyable, with or without dilution. But, yeah, no whisky miracles today.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - LOL
Rating - 76 (diluted only, this doesn't reach the 70s when neat)

Kavalan 7 year old 2010 Manzanilla Cask

Remember Kavalan? Neither do I.

Now, is that a burn? Or are we getting old? Or is the deluge of new distilleries getting ridiculous? Or all of the above?

Never a big Kavalan fan, I always found their whiskies to be extremely extractive, as the distillery uses wet casks in a hot and humid climate. Subjectively/Objectively, that approach doesn't work for my palate, and doesn't produce balanced whiskies. BUT I'm taking a slightly different angle with Kavalan this week, not dipping into their more famous Oloroso and Fino casks, but rather some alternative single vessels, starting with a Manzanilla sherry cask today.

Distillery: Yuan Shan Distillery
Owner: King Car Group
Brand: Kavalan
Region: Yuanshan, Taiwan

Age: 6 years (16 July 2010 - 27 Jan 2018)

Maturation: Manzanilla cask

Cask #: MA100716026A

Alcohol by Volume: 57.8%
(Thank you to Doctors Springbank!)

NEAT

It has a fun, active nose, full of candied pecans, toffee pudding, anise, tar, and furniture polish. There are some rye-like baking spices in the middle, and hints of raspberry jam and maple in the back. The palate is hot, nutty, and loaded with oak spice. Walnuts dusted with chili powder. Touches of lime and honey here and there. The hot finish reads acidic and tangy, with moderate notes of oak spice and maple.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The rich nose shows nocino, mocha, and molasses, with a sprinkle of cardamom in the background. The almond extract-led palate is much sweeter now. Tart berries and drying tannins gradually take over. It finishes dry, tart, and lightly sweet.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

As I've found with bourbon, and other aggressively oak-forward whiskies, this Kavalan's nose is delightful, but the palate is not. Had the flavors matched the scents, this whisky would have been a wild, entertaining, desserty thing, but they don't due to the aforementioned quick extraction. A subtler aging in a dry Manzanilla cask could have resulted in something worth singing about. As it is, this cask will appeal to American whiskey fanatics more than someone with preferences like mine.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 81

Ardmore 23 year old 1997 SMWS 66.198

There was one more Ardmore sibling cask (66.199) after this one but, for only the third time out of nearly 2000 tastings, my glass's contents wound up in the carpet. Please shed no tears over this, as that whisky's quality did not match today's pour.

I've grumped aplenty about SMWS bothering these direct-fired-era Ardmore sibling casks with aggressive finishes. BUT But but, if one was to apply a two-year second maturation then one could do much worse than refill French oak. So let me introduce Ardmore 23 year old 1997 SMWS 66.198.

Distillery: Ardmore

Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 23 years (23 October 1997 - ???)
Maturation: 21 years in a hoggie, then two years in a refill French oak barrique
Cask#: 66.198, "Serene sunset satisfaction"
Outturn: 235 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 53.1%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

At first sniff, it's almost like a Highland Park, with rippling heather and Orkney peat. Then there's apple cider, oranges, roses, and (yes) mango, which all works flawlessly with the smoky undercurrent. Also, somehow, barley appears, sticks around, then leads the palate. Yes, barley, peaches, clementines, grapefruits, chile oil, and gentle beachy smoke. After 30 minutes it gets slightly sweeter (toffee) and bitterer (horseradish). The grapefruits and peaches remain in the finish, framed well with a mix of bonfire and cigarette smoke.

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

The nose doesn't change much. It's still all apple cider, barley, mango, and roses, with subtle wood smoke. That smoke drifts away in the palate, leaving behind peaches, apricots, limes, and chile oil. The juicy finish matches the palate.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I must offer rare props to SMWS for the whisky's name, "Serene sunset satisfaction", as I wouldn't mind sharing a bottle of this at the beach while watching the sunset. The cask keeps the good parts of youth, while disposing of all the less palatable elements. It also offers the lovely balance of smoke and fruit that I seek in many distilleries, but especially Ardmore. Only the slow chemistry of gentle casks produces a whisky like this. If I never have another one of these Ardmore sibling casks, I'd be happy to end with 66.198.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 90

Ardmore 23 year old 1997 SMWS 66.195

To be honest, after trying Wednesday's whisky I was feeling ambivalent about drinking one more direct-fired-era Ardmore ruined by SMWS's cask fuckery. Writing bitter reviews can be energizing, but drinking disappointing Ardmore is not.

Then last night I looked at the details for the next two scheduled casks, and saw promising glimmers in their caskwork. So I tried them side-by-side. And I was not disappointed.

Distillery: Ardmore

Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 23 years (23 October 1997 - ???)
Maturation: 21 years on a hoggie, then two years in a first-fill Oloroso barrique
Cask#: 66.195, "If these walls could talk!"
Outturn: 275 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 48.7%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

A gorgeous forest-like peat note stands above everything else in the nose; think earth, dead leaves, and mushrooms. Next: a damp dunnage floor. Mellow notes of dates and dried currants. A bit of mesquite smoke appears later on. Similar foresty peat notes appear in the palate, perhaps a bit smokier. But then there's some black coffee, a mild cigar, and bitter chocolate. Sweet oranges and raspberries highlight the background. Tobacco, mild wood smoke, oranges, and dried blueberries fill the finish.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or >¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Pulled pork, dried apricots, orange peels, and mild florals now fill the nose. The palate: blacker bitterer coffee, sweet berries, and a dunnage hint. It finishes with bitter coffee, bitter chocolate, and tangy citrus.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This one is okay with me. In fact, the nose is excellent. Despite what the sample bottle label shows in the picture above, this was not an STR cask. And it wasn't a sopping gooey first-fill sherry vessel either. The cask does show up more in the palate, but not tragically so. I'm not sure why so many Ardmore casks drop below 50%abv even before their 20th birthday, but most of them are disarmingly drinkable as a result. This one is no exception. Whew.

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

Ardmore 23 year old 1997 SMWS 66.191

It's time to continue my exploration into the 20+ SMWS Ardmore sibling casks that were all distilled on the 23rd of October 1997. As I've progressed through these casks, the SMWS numbers and ages have increased. The four I'll review this week are all 23 years old, and have been finished in aggressive-sounding casks. I like the former, not too sure about the latter. First up, an Ardmore with a rejuvenated-cask finish.

Distillery: Ardmore

Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 23 years (23 October 1997 - ???)
Maturation: hogshead first, then an STR Oloroso barrique finish
Cask#: 66.191, "Smoky dark cajun roux"
Outturn: 240 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 49.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose starts with a gentle nuttiness (hazels and brazils), followed by almond extract and dates. Mushrooms in the middle, peat waaaaaay in the back. Small notes of peach candy and carob show up after 30+ minutes. The palate begins with a mix of vanilla, bitter cocoa, dates, and dried apricots. More peppery than peaty, it also gets sweeter with time. It finishes very sweetly, almost like a mix of ginger ale and cream soda. Lime and wood smoke wait in the background.

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

The nose becomes more sugary: milk chocolate, toffee, cream soda, and ginger candy. Toasted oak fills the middle, black walnuts wait in the back. The palate is as sweet as expected. Caramel and oak spice up front, ginger and lime behind. It finishes with lime, oak spice, and sugar.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I do not understand why anyone would do this to Ardmore single malt. While this whisky is approachable and palatable, especially for a sweet-tooth, it's also generic. The finishing cask neutered whatever was poured into it. It's just X whisky in an STR oloroso cask. What's the point of that? Was the first maturation that bad? Or was SMWS worried that the lean mean Highland machine known as Ardmore wouldn't be loud enough for their customers' palates? This does not fill me with confidence about the other three this week...

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 81 (neat only, in the low-to-mid 70s when diluted)

Ardmore 21 year old 1979 Old Malt Cask, cask DL 266

The new year started with snowfall. So yes, 2024, Ice to see you too. It's as good of a time as any to warm up with a week of Ardmore! I have another four SMWSes distilled on 23/10/1997, so by the end of this week I'll have tried nine of the 20-ish sibling hoggies from that date. Yay for me! But before that, let's start off in the 1970s, please.

pic source

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Douglas Laing
Range: Old Malt Cask
Age: 21 years (Nov 1979 - Mar 2001)
Maturation: 30th-fill butt?
Cask #: DL 266
Outturn: 648 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 50%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

It's been 203 days since I used the A-word (and 734 days since I applied it to an Ardmore), so I'm allowed to fish it out now. The austere nose offers up only oats, yeast, horseradish, and slivovitz for the first 30 minutes. Then there's a little bit of lemon, metal, and new carpet. It picks up a nice farmy note around 45 minutes in. Meanwhile, the palate is sweet and lemony, slightly tarry and minty, with some fresh herbs in the background. It gets more oily and industrial with time. Honey, lemons, and oranges appear in the finish, where the whisky is more oily and salty than peaty.

DILUTED to 43%abv, or 1 tsp of water per 30ml whisky

Silvovitz and citronella move to the front of the nose, with coconut, honey, and ground cloves in the middle. A little bit of seaweed slips in later. The palate remains sweet and lemony, now with golden raisins, honey, and a whiff of wood smoke in the back. It finishes with honey, salt, and cayenne pepper.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This wasn't what I expected, though I probably should have due to the Ardmore's very light color. The nose is quite lean and raw at times, but in a good way. It certainly isn't a contemporary style. Going a different direction, the palate is sweetie pie with only a suggestion of complexity in the background. This would be a interesting bottle to sit with and mull over for a year or two, but because it was bottled almost 23 years ago, I'm just going to have to fantasize about that.

Availability - Secondary market?
Pricing - ???
Rating - 86