Ardmore 9 Year Old 2013 Cask #800201A (Claxton’s)

A 9 year old single cask Ardmore released by Claxton's in 2023 under their Claxton's Exclusives line, distilled in 2013 and bottled at 56.7% natural strength with a Port profile. 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. Claxton's Exclusives sits as a special selection line alongside their warehouse numbered ranges. The tight 62 bottle outturn suggests a partial fill remainder. Bottled for the German market from cask #800201A. The 2013 vintage falls in the early Suntory Holdings ownership period at Kennethmont via Beam Suntory.

Filled at 63.5% in 2013, the spirit matured at Kennethmont under the post 2001 steam heating regime in a Port seasoned cask. Nine years brought the strength to 56.7%, with no chill filtration applied at bottling.

Port maturation drives wine derived compounds across the profile. Anthocyanin pigments and tannins from the seasoned wood read as red berry, plum and a faintly resinous structure on the palate, with residual wine sugars from the cask staves softening the entry. Steam era distillate underneath shows apple and pear esters from the Kerry yeast component, with the 12 to 14 ppm peat phenols reading as heather smoke, dry leaf and earthy phenolic at moderate integrated intensity. A sweet smoky finish closes the profile.