The Ardmore – Port Wood Finish – 46% abv

Info: 12 Years Old, matured in American white oak Bourbon barrels and then finished in European half port pipes.
Colour: Bright and golden with a distinct pink Port hue.
Nose: Gentle peat smoke amongst plenty of autumn and winter berries all mushed up. Slight hints of tar. Subtle malt background.
Palate: Fairly thick; the non chill filtration giving this the welly it deserves. It’s fairly gentle and easily accessed with sweet fruits and a fair pinch of spices, all backed up with gentle highland peat smoke. The more you hold it in your mouth the more creamy it seems to become.
Finish: The finish is quite long, as you would expect from a peated whisky. It’s fairly sweet with just a small amount of tannin and spices at the end just to finish things off and bring the sweetness down.
Thoughts: It’s a good dram, Ardmore’s back in the driving seat of releasing good drams at good prices. Ardmore is one of the first peaty drams I ever had and will therefore always hold a place in my heart. That said, I was slightly sad when Legacy was released at 40% abv replacing the Traditional Cask which was at 46% abv. This release restores my faith in Ardmore’s new line up; it’s a dram worth taking a look at if you find it around.
Available: RRP £49.99.

Thanks to The Ardmore for the sample.