Ardmore 20 Year Old 2004 Cask #1099 (Gordon & MacPhail)

A 20 year old single cask Ardmore released by Gordon & MacPhail in 2024 under the Connoisseurs Choice range, distilled in 2004 and bottled at 53.6% natural strength. G&M's long warehouse contract with Ardmore has produced the most complete record of single cask outturn for the distillery across both coal and steam eras, with this release representing the steam era profile that became standard from 2001 onwards. The 2004 vintage falls in the fourth year of steam heating at Kennethmont. 170 bottles for the Belgian market from cask #1099.

Filled at 63.5% into a single ex Bourbon refill American oak cask in 2004, the spirit matured in dunnage at Kennethmont through the Fortune Brands and Beam Global ownership periods. Twenty years brought the strength to 53.6% naturally, with no chill filtration applied at bottling.

Refill Bourbon at this maturity gives a clean oak frame. Cis whisky lactone reads as soft coconut and pine, vanillin from oak lignin shows as baked custard, syringaldehyde adds clove. Steam era distillate lacks the coal era direct flame Maillard products, presenting cleaner apple and pear esters from the Kerry yeast fermentation at the centre. The 12 to 14 ppm peat phenols read as heather smoke, dry leaf and earthy phenolic at integrated moderate intensity. A soft creamy lactic edge closes the finish.