Ardmore 14 Year Old 2009 Cask #C23078 (Claxton’s)

A 14 year old single cask Ardmore released by Claxton's in 2023 under the Warehouse No. 1 range, distilled in 2009 and bottled at 57.8% 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. 1 sits as their core ex Bourbon line alongside warehouse numbered series for other cask formats. The 2009 vintage falls in the early Beam Global ownership period at Kennethmont with steam heating on the wash stills since 2001. 277 bottles for the European market from cask #C23078.

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 57.8%, with no chill filtration applied at bottling.

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. Steam era distillate sits prominently at the centre with apple and pear esters from the Kerry yeast component, with a fragrant fresh fruit register and citric edge from extended ester development. The 12 to 14 ppm peat phenols read as heather smoke, dry leaf and earthy phenolic at moderate integrated intensity. Chocolate and greenhouse vegetal notes close the long finish.