Whisky: Ardmore 25 Year (1997), Douglas Laing Cask DL16534 for K&L

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 53.3%

Cask: Refill Hogshead

Age: 25 Years (Distilled March 1997, Bottled Oct. 2022)

Nose: Soft and mellow with gentle coastal and mineral notes under citrusy lemon, orange, and pineapple cocktails; hints of coconut and zinc sunscreen hinted at swimming pools and chlorine with a dash of heather.

Palate: Medium-bodied, bright, and sunny with citrus and mellow heather, florals, salty minerals, pineapples, and lime with a touch of creamy birthday cake frosting, slightly sour herbs toward the end with more mint, mugwort, rosemary, and wood.

Finish: Medium to long with citrusy fruits and slightly bitter herbs.

Score: 7 (85)

Mental Image: Sunny Days Spent Poolside

Narrative & Notes: My prior experience with unpeated Ardmore, sometimes labeled Ardless or Ardlair, though that second one has also been confusingly sometimes used by bottlers as a stand-in for the distillery name on peated products, has not been great. Prior examples felt less cohesive than their peatier brethren, with plenty of fruit but perhaps too much spice and garden notes to come together cohesively.

That was not a problem here. Time and patience allowed those elements to slowly merge and develop a more coherent and linked structure so that the profile gradually and pleasantly unfolded. I was not a massive fan of the slightly sour and bitter herbal and woody notes on the back end, but the rest of the package was fantastic as soft minerals, citrus, and florals coalesced into a bright and sunny day. I do not think you can taste sunshine, but I assume it would be something like this in the summer.

Overall, a dram that sweeps the clouds away so those sunny days can shine on.