Whisky: Ardmore 12 Year (2009), Little Brown Dog Spirits

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 55.5%

Cask: PX Sherry Finish (1Y)

Age: 12 Years (Distilled 26 Nov. 2009, Bottled 3 May 2022)

Nose: Flower garden beds, floral-earthy, dark chocolate, hints of caramel and nougat, graham crackers, thistle, walnut and oak, musty herbal notes with more time.

Palate: Medium-bodied, slightly oily, woody, earthy, and herbal. Graham crackers, chocolate roasted barley, polished rosewood, earthy garden bed, thistle, thyme, and somewhat bitter herbal notes at the end.

Finish: Long and lingering with oak, earth, and garden herbs.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Mouse Bakeoff in the Holly Bush

Narrative & Notes: I poured this as dram #18 on a “Holiday Mystery Whisky Advent Calendar” and guessed it was a late teen mystery/unknown Highland whisky. My guess was a bit of a cop-out; after eighteen days of mystery whiskies, I admit I have a bit of fatigue with guessing. I do not usually do a lot of blind samples because I do not find them reflective of how I experience whisky. Branding, storytelling, and packaging play at least some role in how we perceive and experience a dram, even if we do not precisely taste them in the glass. My wife prefers them blind— so I am always glad I have her to balance me out.

I thought this was nice— it was earthy and savory with slightly bitter chocolate and herbal notes. The dram left me recalling the flowerbeds and holly bushes where I grew up, which had the ideal little passageways between the roots for cats, rabbits, and mice. I never saw a mouse there, but I pictured them using the open spaces between the bases to host a baking competition, especially as I picked up graham cracker crust that appeared on the nose and palate.

Overall, not bad. It turned out this was a thirteen-year-old Ardmore with a PX sherry finish; I got only the barest whiffs of smoke on the whisky, but that is not too unusual; Ardmore can vary from subtle to aggressive at almost any age. I was surprised I did not pick up a significant PX influence considering the finish, though I suspect it contributed to the wood and chocolate elements.

Image Credit: Little Brown Dog Spirits