Ardbeg 10 Years Old 1993 Bourbon Hogshead 58.6% (Cadenhead’s)

Cadenhead's, Scotland's oldest independent bottler founded in 1842 in Aberdeen and now operating from Campbeltown under J&A Mitchell since 1972. The Authentic Collection was launched in 1989 as a single cask cask strength programme presenting unfiltered, uncoloured expressions. Cadenhead's deep stock of 1993 Ardbeg comes from Allied Distillers off loading spirit during the intermittent reopening years between the 1981 mothball and the 1996 final closure.

Filled into a refill bourbon hogshead in 1993 during Allied's intermittent reopening and matured for ten years before bottling in 2004 at 58.6% ABV for the German market, non chill filtered with no added colour. One of four 1993 10 year old Authentic Collection bottlings released by Cadenhead's that year (the others at 57.3%, 58.8% and 59.8%, with the 59.8% being a unique sherry hogshead).

Ten years of refill bourbon maturation places this in the early mid age expression curve. Cis and trans oak lactones (coconut, oiled wood) build at moderate concentration, hemicellulose furans deliver emerging caramel and toasted almond, and lignin vanillin and syringaldehyde layer vanilla and baking spice. The 1993 Allied era peat phenols (guaiacol, syringol, 4 methylguaiacol, p cresol) read at near full intensity, delivering classic phenolic smoke. The Ardbeg purifier ester signature carries through as concentrated pineapple, lemon and tropical fruit.