Ardmore 16 Year Old 2001 Cask #1581 (The Vintage Malt Whisky Co)

A 16 year old single cask Ardmore released by The Vintage Malt Whisky Co under the Cooper's Choice range, distilled in 2001 and bottled in 2017 at 51.5% natural strength. Cooper's Choice has run since the late 1990s as Glasgow based VMWC's primary single cask line, with consistent Ardmore output across the years. The 2001 vintage falls in the transition year at Kennethmont, with the wash stills converting from direct coal firing to steam in the early part of the year, ending an unbroken 103 year run of coal heating. 300 bottles for the European market.

Filled at 63.5% into a single ex Bourbon refill American oak cask in 2001, the spirit matured in dunnage at Kennethmont through the Allied Distillers and early Beam Global ownership periods. Sixteen years brought the strength to 51.5%, 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 builds a baked custard register. Apple and pear esters from the Kerry yeast fermentation sit prominently at the centre, with inland peat reading as heather smoke, dry leaf and earthy phenolic at integrated moderate intensity. Depending on whether this cask was filled before or after the heating conversion, the Maillard register from direct flame may be partially or fully absent compared to pre 2001 vintages.