Ardmore 11 Year Old 2011 Cask #801895 & #801905 (Murray McDavid)

An 11 year old Ardmore released by Murray McDavid in 2023 under the Single Malt Journeys range, distilled in 2011 and bottled at 58.2% natural strength across a combination of Madeira and Tawny Port casks. Murray McDavid is one of the longer standing independent bottler operations in Scotch whisky, currently operating under Aceo Ltd ownership with focus on cask finishing and unique wood profile releases. Casks #801895 and #801905 sit in a 2011 cluster of Murray McDavid releases also covering #801903, #801904 and #801906 across multiple individual cask releases, suggesting a parcel of consecutive casks acquired together. 521 bottles for the German market. The 2011 vintage falls in the early Beam Global ownership period at Kennethmont.

Filled at 63.5% in 2011, the spirit matured at Kennethmont under the post 2001 steam heating regime in Madeira and Tawny Port casks. Eleven years brought the strength to 58.2%, with no chill filtration applied at bottling.

The Madeira and Tawny Port combination delivers complex oxidative wine character. Madeira contributes caramelised raisin and dried apricot from the heated estufagem process, with Tawny Port adding brown sugar, dried fig and walnut from oxidative ageing. 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 integrated intensity. A long honeyed smoky finish closes.