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.