Ardmore 11 Year Old 2008 Cask #706024 (Best Dram)

An 11 year old single cask Ardmore released by Best Dram in 2020, distilled in 2008 and bottled at 58.2% natural strength. Best Dram operates from Germany with a focus on natural strength single cask single malt releases, with the label design programme by artist Andrea Kuhne becoming a recognisable signature for the bottler. The 2008 vintage falls in the early Beam Global ownership period at Kennethmont with steam heating on the wash stills since 2001. 227 bottles for the German market from cask #706024.

Filled at 63.5% into a Port seasoned cask in 2008, the spirit matured at Kennethmont under the post 2001 steam heating regime. Eleven years brought the strength to 58.2%, 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.

Port maturation drives wine derived compounds across the profile. Anthocyanin pigments and tannins from the seasoned wood read as red berry, plum and a faintly resinous structure on the palate, with residual wine sugars from the cask staves softening the entry. Steam era distillate underneath shows apple and pear esters from the Kerry yeast component, with the 12 to 14 ppm peat phenols reading as heather smoke, dry leaf and earthy phenolic at moderate integrated intensity. The combination of port pigment and inland peat builds a savoury fruited register through the long finish.