Ardmore 14 Year Old 2009 Cask #1347 (Finn Thomson)

A 14 year old single cask Ardmore released by Finn Thomson in 2023 under the Private Cask Collection, distilled in 2009 and bottled at 57.3% natural strength. Finn Thomson Whisky operates as a small family bottler with focus on tightly selected single cask releases, run by Finn Thomson from a base in Scotland. The Private Cask Collection sits as the core single cask line. The 2009 vintage falls in the early Beam Global ownership period at Kennethmont with steam heating on the wash stills since 2001. 193 bottles for the European market from cask #1347.

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. Fourteen years brought the strength to 57.3%, with no chill filtration applied at bottling. The peat load at 12 to 14 ppm phenol and the 54 to 55 hour fermentation on Mauri and Kerry yeast both stayed at standard distillery spec.

Refill Bourbon at this strength delivers distillery character with intensity. Cis whisky lactone reads as 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. The 12 to 14 ppm peat phenols read as heather smoke, dry leaf and earthy phenolic at moderate integrated intensity. Honeyed barley closes a warm long finish at full strength.