Ardmore 12 Year Old 2009 Cask #KI 0003 (Kirsch Import)

A 12 year old single cask Ardmore released by Kirsch Import in 2022 under the Simply Good Whisky range, distilled in 2009 and bottled at 53.5% natural strength. Kirsch Import is one of Germany's largest spirits importers, founded in the late 1970s and developing a strong portfolio of single cask whisky releases through their own bottler programmes including Simply Good Whisky. The 2009 vintage falls in the early Beam Global ownership period at Kennethmont with steam heating on the wash stills since 2001. Bottled for the German market from cask #KI 0003.

Filled at 63.5% into a single ex Bourbon refill American oak cask in 2009, the spirit matured at Kennethmont under the post 2001 steam heating regime. Twelve years brought the strength to 53.5%, with no chill filtration applied at bottling.

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 custard, with syringaldehyde adding a faint clove edge. Steam era distillate sits prominently at the centre with apple and pear esters from the Kerry yeast component, and a fragrant fresh fruit register from extended ester development at moderate strength. The 12 to 14 ppm peat phenols read as heather smoke, dry leaf and earthy phenolic at moderate integrated intensity. A clean dry finish closes the profile.