Ardmore 12 Year Old 2009 Cask #09.1209.SC17.137 (Mossburn)

A 12 year old single cask Ardmore released by Mossburn Distillers and Blenders in 2022 under the Vintage Casks range, distilled in 2009 and bottled at 60.1% natural strength with a Rum finish. Mossburn is owned by Marussia Beverages and operates as both an independent bottler and a distiller, with their own Torabhaig Distillery on Skye opened in 2017. The Vintage Casks range carries single cask releases at natural strength. The 2009 vintage falls in the early Beam Global ownership period at Kennethmont with steam heating on the wash stills since 2001. 271 bottles for the event market from cask #09.1209.SC17.137.

Filled at 63.5% into ex Bourbon refill American oak in 2009, the spirit matured at Kennethmont under the post 2001 steam heating regime before a Rum cask finish was applied for the latter stages. Twelve years brought the strength to 60.1%, with no chill filtration applied at bottling.

Rum finishing at this maturity contributes residual sugars, caramelised molasses character and additional ester complexity on top of the Bourbon base. The rum congeners read as brown sugar, dunder and a tropical fruit edge, with ethyl propionate and other esters from the rum cask building over the Bourbon vanillin frame. 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. A sweet smoky finish closes the profile.