Ardmore 12 Year Old 2009 Cask #C22042 (Claxton’s)

A 12 year old single cask Ardmore released by Claxton's in 2022 under the Warehouse No. 8 range, distilled in 2009 and bottled at 50.3% natural strength. Claxton's was revived in 2015 by the Claxton family, building on the original 1968 founded Edinburgh wine merchant identity to operate as a single cask single malt bottler from County Durham. Warehouse No. 8 sits as their core range alongside other warehouse numbered series. The 2009 vintage falls in the early Beam Global ownership period at Kennethmont with steam heating on the wash stills since 2001. 69 bottles for the Dutch market from cask #C22042, a notably tight outturn for a twelve year old.

Filled at 63.5% into Oloroso seasoned European oak in 2009, the spirit matured at Kennethmont under the post 2001 steam heating regime. Twelve years brought the strength to 50.3%, with no chill filtration applied at bottling.

Oloroso at this maturity drives rancio compounds, dried fruit oxidation products and tannic structure. Furfural and 5 hydroxymethylfurfural from the wood read as walnut and toasted hazelnut. Quercetin tannins give the dry grip across the palate, with leafy leathery notes reading through from older European oak character. 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 nutty malt extract finish closes the profile.