Ardmore 12 Year Old 2011 Cask #800535 (Signatory Vintage)

A 12 year old single cask Ardmore released by Signatory Vintage in 2023 under the Un Chillfiltered Collection Cask Strength range, distilled in 2011 and bottled at 59.5% natural strength with an Oloroso profile. Signatory Vintage is run by the Symington family from Edradour Distillery in Pitlochry, with one of the longest standing programmes in independent bottling. The Un Chillfiltered Collection Cask Strength range carries natural strength single cask releases without chill filtration or colouring. 635 bottles for the Belgian market from cask #800535, the large outturn indicating a butt format sherry cask rather than the smaller hogshead. The 2011 vintage falls in the early Beam Global ownership period at Kennethmont.

Filled at 63.5% into an Oloroso seasoned European oak butt in 2011, the spirit matured at Kennethmont under the post 2001 steam heating regime. Twelve years brought the strength to 59.5%, with no chill filtration and no colouring applied at bottling.

Oloroso at this strength and maturity drives intense 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 a dry grip across the palate. 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 warm sherried finish closes.