Ardmore 11 Year Old 2009 (Phil & Simon Thompson)

An 11 year old Ardmore released by Phil & Simon Thompson in 2021, distilled in 2009 and bottled at 56.1% natural strength. Phil and Simon Thompson are the brothers behind Dornoch Distillery and the Thompson Bros independent bottler programme, with a reputation built on character driven cask selection and minimal intervention bottling. The Thompson operation pulls casks from European brokers and direct trade contacts. 239 bottles for the event market. The 2009 vintage falls in the early Beam Global ownership period at Kennethmont with steam heating on the wash stills since 2001.

Filled at 63.5% into ex Bourbon refill American oak in 2009, the spirit matured at Kennethmont under the post 2001 steam heating regime. Eleven years brought the strength to 56.1%, 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 Bourbon at this maturity gives a clean oak frame around distillery character. Cis whisky lactone reads as soft coconut and pine, vanillin from oak lignin shows as light vanilla custard. Steam era distillate sits prominently at the centre with apple and pear esters from the Kerry yeast component, and a citric fresh fruit register from extended ester development. The 12 to 14 ppm peat phenols read as heather smoke, dry leaf and earthy phenolic at moderate integrated intensity. Honeyed barley closes a long finish.