Ardmore 8 Year SMWS 66.163 “A perfect finish to a perfect day”
Whisky: Ardmore 8 Year SMWS 66.163 “A perfect finish to a perfect day”
Country/Region: Scotland/Highland
ABV: 59.3%
Cask: 2nd Fill Bourbon Barrel
Age: 8 Years (Distilled 27 Oct. 2010)
Nose: Charcoal grill, dirty grill grates, hints of rust, tropical fruits, papaya, sapodilla/chico, subtle salt and dried grass.
Palate: Medium-bodied, crushed sugar cane, grass fire smoke, grilled tropical fruits, overripe fruit, herbal spice, hints of salt, tobacco at the end.
Finish: Medium to long with tobacco, bruised fruit, and subtle vanilla.
Score: 6-7
Mental Image: Evacuating the Fruit Stand
Narrative & Notes: The aroma was mellow with a subtle charcoal grill and metallic note of dirty grill grates and rust. Tropical fruits slowly wafted in with bruised papaya and the sweet brown sugar of sapodilla, known as chico in these parts. Subtle notions of dried grass, minerality, and salt came on stronger with a few drops of water to give the impression of seaside meadows and drying kelp. The palate was medium-bodied with lovely viscosity and a sweet-smokey profile of billowing grass fires, crushed sugar cane detritus, and grilled tropical fruits. Lilikoi, papaya, and mango all came to mind— occasionally more like bruised and overripe fruits found on a hiking trail than something ripe from the farmer’s market. As the smoke cleared, the grassy notes became more herbal with muddled mint, tarragon, and coriander with a kiss of salt. Tobacco appeared on the back palate and lingered through a medium to long finish with subtle fruits and vanilla.
What a lovely build-up on this dram! The experience started with an incredibly mellow nose— the sort that makes you wonder if you have lost your sense of smell. Well, a quick smell test with a few other drams let me know I was okay. Patience was critical as the aroma slowly opened up. A few drops of water helped it along more quickly, so pungent notes of beachside meadows and grassfires appeared. The palate was wonderfully well-integrated and needed no water, though a few drops brought out more grassiness, crushed cane, and fruit while pushing the smoke further into the background.
Overall, I was surprised at the structure of this young Ardmore— the flavors did not have a ton of depth, but they flowed nicely and were well connected. There were distinct layers of smoke and fruit which made this a lot of fun to explore— or mindlessly sip on as the experience slowly developed. We initially included this dram in a large newbie split so that new members of our local whisky club could try as many different distilleries as possible. I never heard back if this one was a huge hit or miss, but considering the consistent Ardmore love I see locally, it must have had a few fans.
