Ardmore 8 Year Old 2009 Cask #709303/4/5 (Wilson & Morgan)

An 8 year old Ardmore released by Wilson & Morgan in 2018 under the Barrel Selection Cask Strength range, distilled in 2009 and bottled at 58.4% natural strength. Wilson & Morgan is the Venice based whisky merchant operated by the Rossi family, founded in 1992 and one of Italy's largest independent bottler operations with a strong focus on natural strength single cask releases. Cask #709303 to #709305 sit in the 2009 #709xxx cluster of Beam era distillery fill casks that appears across multiple European bottler releases. The three cask vatting at consecutive numbers explains the larger 775 bottle outturn for the German market. The 2009 vintage falls in the early Beam Global ownership period at Kennethmont.

Filled at 63.5% into three ex Bourbon refill American oak casks in 2009, the spirit matured at Kennethmont under the post 2001 steam heating regime before vatting at bottling. Eight years brought the strength to 58.4%, 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. 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.