Ardmore 10 Year Old 2009 (Single & Single)

A 10 year old Ardmore released by Single & Single in 2019, distilled in 2009 and bottled at 53.9% natural strength. Single & Single operates from the Netherlands as an independent bottler with focus on natural strength small batch single malt releases, drawing stock from European cask brokers. The 2009 vintage falls in the early Beam Global ownership period at Kennethmont with steam heating on the wash stills since 2001. 257 bottles for the European market.

Filled at 63.5% into American oak refill casks in 2009, the spirit matured at Kennethmont under the post 2001 steam heating regime. Ten years brought the strength to 53.9%, with no chill filtration applied at bottling. The peat load at 12 to 14 ppm phenol and the 54 to 55 hour fermentation on Mauri and Kerry yeast both stayed at standard distillery spec.

Refill American oak at this maturity gives a clean frame around distillery character. Cis whisky lactone reads as soft coconut and pine, vanillin from oak lignin shows as light custard, with syringaldehyde adding a faint clove edge. Steam era distillate reads cleaner than coal era stock, with apple and pear esters from the Kerry yeast component sitting prominently at the centre. The 12 to 14 ppm peat phenols read as heather smoke, dry leaf and earthy phenolic at moderate integrated intensity rather than dominant smoke. A faintly waxy mouthfeel from the long fermentation closes the finish.