Ardmore 10 Year Old 2002 Cask #93421 Manzanilla (Ian Macleod)

A 10 year old Ardmore released by Ian Macleod under the Chieftain's range, distilled in 2002 and matured in a single Manzanilla sherry cask, bottled at 55.9% natural strength in 2012. Ian Macleod has been one of the longest standing indie bottlers operating in Broxburn, with the Chieftain's range carrying decades of single cask single malt output across multiple distilleries. The 596 bottle outturn for cask #93421 indicates a full butt fill of this Manzanilla format rather than a hogshead or refill. The 2002 vintage falls in the early steam era at Kennethmont, the first full year after the 2001 wash still heating conversion.

Filled at 63.5% into a Manzanilla seasoned butt in 2002, the spirit matured at Kennethmont in dunnage. Ten years brought the cask to 55.9%, with no chill filtration applied at bottling.

Manzanilla maturation differs from Oloroso in showing a drier, more saline sherry register due to flor yeast activity during the original wine biological ageing. The cask carries chamomile, dry hazelnut and a coastal mineral edge, with melanoidins and polyphenols giving structural depth. Steam era distillate lacks the coal era Maillard register, giving cleaner apple and pear esters from the Kerry yeast fermentation. The 12 to 14 ppm peat phenols read as heather smoke and earthy phenolic at moderate integrated intensity.