Ardmore 10 Year SMWS 66.154 “Robocow”
Whisky : Ardmore 10 Year SMWS 66.154 “Robocow”
Country/Region : Scotland/Highlands
ABV : 59.8%
Cask : Refill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead
Age : 10 Years (Distilled July 23, 2008)
Nose : Smoldering coconut husks and burning compost— herbal, grassy, barnyard smoke comes straight away. Funky hard cheese sweat, raw shucked oysters, and banana peel all belong either on a plate or in the fire. A bit of mineral comes through like watch oil with a strong whiff of manure, a dried cow paddy in the pasture.
Palate : Sweaty cow after a morning shower— barn, pasture, hay, and cow odor pervade the palate. Machine grease and oil give a bit of metal and mineral which develops into a lemon citrus and creamy soft cheese. Earthy sweetness of hay stacks, rotting leaves, and burning grass join with wet wool to give the impression of a Robo-Sheep.
Finish : Lingering dry smoke and sweet decayed vegetation.
Score : 7
Mental Image : Downwind the Petting Zoo
Something Better : Laphroaig 21Y; DL’s XOP (similar soft cheese/petty zoo, more complex/savory)
Something Similar : Compass Box No Name 1st Ed. (similar machine/mineral/leaves, more herb/smoke)
Something Worse : Port Charlotte 12Y A&M (similar manure/mineral, more florals/bread/grain)
Notes : The name alone deserved a solid grade: I pictured a mechanized cow fit for war— guns, grease, and gears all ready for terrible battle. Maybe I channeled a bit too much Pacific Rim or Battletech. The idea of a Barnyard Commando burned bright in my mind and this dram totally delivered.
A fascinating Ardmore with more barnyard funk than I expected. I totally got the name— this was somewhere between an automated factory floor and a pasture— and worked wonderfully. The nose was intense and complex, the palate shifted through so many different mental images that it kept me engaged. I thoroughly enjoyed this dram— the only thing that could have improved it would be a bit more finesse. Time to breath and a couple drops of water opened it up a bit more, but more time in the cask may have rounded off some of the sharper edges of the flavor notes.
