Whisky: Ardmore 11 Year (2002) SMWS 66.54 “A chameleon coat of many colours”

Country/Region: Scotland/Highlands

ABV: 55.7%

Cask: Refill Bourbon Barrel

Age: 11 Years (Distilled 9 Oct. 2002)

Nose: Earthy, salty, old charcoal grill, dried vegetation, musty dunnage, hints of nutmeg and cinnamon, dried grass, coconut husk, caramel.

Palate:  Medium-bodied, preserved lemon, lime, salt, earthy, dried palm, coconut husk, red dirt, dirty charcoal grill.

Finish: Medium-length with charcoal, dried vegetation, and hints of vanilla.

Score: 6-7

Mental Image: Pirate’s Treasure Digging BBQ

Narrative & Notes: A tropical dunnage warehouse emerged on the nose with earthy-salty notes of dried vegetation, sea breeze, dried grass, coconut husks, and mellow musty dampness. An old ashy charcoal grill paired with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon providing additional depth and complexity between layers of earth, grass, and caramel. The palate was medium-bodied, oily, and crisp with citrus and salt as an initial burst of preserved lemons and crushed limes popped with sea salt. As the citrus receded, earthier notes appeared with dried palm fronds, a freshly-dug ʻimu, coconut husks, and iron-rich red dirt. Charcoal and ash developed toward the back end as a slightly acrid note lingered on a medium-length finish with dried vegetation and hints of vanilla.

I was so close to scoring this a delightful seven. I loved the mix of earth and sea that came together to produce the impression of a coastal dunnage warehouse or bunker of some sort. The palate moved in a different direction than the aroma as bright citrus hit the tongue first, while earthy-salty notes were slower to develop, never quite as dominant as they were on the nose. The thing that held this back though, was the finish. The finish was a tad short and occasionally acrid— if it had just gone on a bit longer or the profile leaned a bit more toward some of those lovely earth and grass notes, I think I would have easily scored this a seven.

Overall, a delightful young Ardmore and a vintage release from SMWS. The Society bottles a decent amount of Ardmore, and I have rarely been disappointed by what I have found.