Ardmore 25 Year Old (Distillery Release)

A 25 year old Ardmore released as an Official Bottling by the distillery in 2008 at 51.4% natural strength. Until the 2007 launch of Traditional Cask, Ardmore had been almost exclusively a blending malt supplier to Teacher's Highland Cream, with single malt releases coming through independent bottlers rather than the distillery itself. This 25 Year Old followed the Traditional Cask launch as one of the first official age stated releases in the modern era, drawn from coal era ex Bourbon casks distilled around 1983 under Allied Distillers ownership before the 2005 sale to Fortune Brands and the 2007 transition to Beam Global. Bottled for the European market.

Filled at 63.5% in or around 1983, the spirit matured at Kennethmont through the full coal fired wash still era and into the early steam era after the 2001 conversion. Twenty five years brought the strength to 51.4%, with bottling at natural strength.

The 25 year coal era Ardmore profile draws heavily on Maillard reaction products from the direct coal firing on the wash stills, with furfurals, melanoidins and caramelisation contributing depth that steam era distillate cannot replicate. Long Bourbon maturation builds cis whisky lactone as coconut and baked custard alongside lignin derived vanillin. The 12 to 14 ppm peat phenols read as integrated heather smoke, dry leaf and earthy phenolic. Citric fresh fruit, honey, malt extract and new wood close a long warm finish.