Ardmore is Suntory’s Highland outpost for peated malts and the main component of Teacher’s blended whisky. This particular malt was finished in a ruby port cask, I write raising my eyebrows. While I do love peaty Ardmore in a variety of different casks, especially sweet wine, port has typically been my least favorite.  This wee dram came via a Cadenhead’s Enigma tasting pack that I picked up in Campbeltown.

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Whisky: Ardmore 11 Year (2012), Cadenhead’s Original Collection

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 46%

Cask: Ruby Port Finish

Age: 11 Years (Distilled 2021, Bottled July 2024)

Notes: Smoked fruits and squash— a vegan smoking shed? The aroma was rich with fruits, smoke, and slightly creamy starches. More cocoa powder and instant coffee waited further in with hints of marshmallow and leather shoe soles. Light-bodied, but bursting with flavor on the palate, the profile was sweet and fruity with date syrup, honey, apricot, and sticky buns. Smoke fell further in the background more like a kiss of cigar box lurking behind cherry and lime syrups in tonic water. Squash, kabocha, winter melon, and more vegetal notions lingered near the end and came out more with a few drops of water. Medium to short finish with caramelized fruity sugars and a kiss of cocoa and salt.

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Score: 6 (78)

Mental Image: Flaming Dessert Cart

Conclusion: The ruby port cask was strong on this one, yet the peated malt was not entirely lost and so I did still enjoy this. It was oddly vegetal and sometimes felt a bit old fashioned, especially with a few drops of water. Those elements made for a rather eccentric experience and I have no idea where they came from: some quality of the port, the maturation location, the malt? Who knows. While I thought this actually benefited from a bit more water to lower the proof, I wish I knew what it was like at cask strength; was the finish something other than fleeting? Was the mouthfeel thicker or heavier? Perhaps not, but I will never find out.  Overall, unusual, but very drinkable.