Ardmore 17 Year Old 2008 Oloroso (The Caskhound)

A 17 year old Ardmore released by The Caskhound in 2026, distilled in 2008 and bottled at 52.2% natural strength. The Caskhound is a German independent bottler with a tightly curated programme of single cask and small batch single malt releases, working with stock selected directly from European cask brokers. The 2008 vintage falls in the early Beam Global ownership era at Kennethmont, with steam heating on the wash stills since 2001. 220 bottles for the event market.

Filled at 63.5% into Oloroso seasoned European oak in 2008, the spirit matured at Kennethmont under the post 2001 steam heating regime. Seventeen years brought the strength to 52.2%, 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.

Oloroso at this maturity drives rancio compounds, dried fruit oxidation products and tannic structure. Furfural and 5 hydroxymethylfurfural from the wood read as walnut and toasted hazelnut, with quercetin tannins giving the dry grip on the palate. Steam era distillate underneath shows apple and pear esters from the Kerry yeast component, with the 12 to 14 ppm peat reading as heather smoke, dry leaf and earthy phenolic at integrated rather than dominant intensity. The combination of sherry oxidation with inland peat character builds a savoury structure across the finish.