Whisky : Ardmore 13 Year SMWS 66.161 “Chateau du Pork Scratching”

Country/Region : Scotland/Highland

ABV : 58.1%

Cask : Ex-bourbon Hogshead (12Y), First Fill Ex-Red Wine Barrique (1Y)

Age : 13 Years (Distilled 6 March 2006)

Nose : Deliciously meaty aroma comes out right away: yakitori chicken skins, roast pork, pork crackling, beef bulgogi, and hickory smoked beef jerky.  Beyond the meat sits wet hay, old barn, herbs, and strawberry jelly.

Palate : Thick and meaty with a rich smoke that washes across the palate and sits right on down.  Smoked meats, charred fruits, and the salty-umami richness of ramen stock.  Oiliness builds over time along with tobacco leaf, dark bitter chocolate, and burnt caramel cream.  Mild astringency on the back end with fresh ginger and dried flowers.

Finish :  Lingering wood char and dark chocolate.

Score : 6

Mental Image : Barbecue Challenge Cleanup Crew

Something Better : Glen Scotia 14Y SMWS 93.101 (similar meat, salty-umami, more maritime)

Something Similar : Ballechin 16Y, Signatory (similar charred meat, umami, bitter chocolate)

Notes : Thick and rich, the wine cask influence paired beautifully with the smokey barbecue notes of the Ardmore malt to give the impression of a barbecue buffet— or at least the fleeting impression of what used to be a barbecue buffet.  The nose on this was absolutely alive with savory meat notes backed by lovely herb and grass, while the palate shifted toward sweet charred sugars.  There was a lovely umami richness that I believe came off the cask as I have encountered similar flavor effects off wine casks— though there have been a few times those sort of notes slipped past umami and ended up in old shoe territory (looking at you Ichiro’s Wine Wood Reserve).

This lovely Ardmore showcased a different much meatier profile than the usual.  The only real drawback was that the overall flavor profile did feel a bit simple at times as it quickly transitioned from sweet meat to bitter notes of chocolate and burnt caramel.  A few drops of water only seemed to accent those bitter notes— though a good teaspoon seemed to bring them back under control.  This seemed like the sort of dram that you either want straight up or with a heavy dollop of water to really round it out.  Overall, really quite tasty and a great variation on the sort of tropical beach on fire flavor profile Ardmore brings to the party.