Whisky: Ardmore 9 Year (2013), Brave New Spirits Cask 800220

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 56.7%

Cask: First Fill Madeira Barrique

Age: 9 Years (Distilled Dec. 2013, Bottled March 2023)

Nose: Smoke, earth, and grass— classic grass fire with old tractor tires and wood chips on a playground, a touch of fruit plum and charred pork appeared as slightly overdone char siu; old campfires and musty used gym bags.

Palate: Medium-bodied and oily, sweet and smokey, charred salmon skin or char siu pork, mellow pickled plums and salted mango, burned grass and old campfire, sweeter cotton candy toward the end with gentle earthiness.

Finish: Medium-length with salted fruits and an old campfire.

Score: 7 (83)

Mental Image: Morning at the Campsite

Narrative & Notes: Lovely stuff.  This young Ardmore had a wonderful balance between acrid smoke, burning grass, and fruit. Despite maturation in a first-fill madeira barrique, and our guide seemed to think it was a full maturation rather than a finish; suprisingly, the cask was not overly aggressive or dominant.  It was always there, highlighting some of the fruitier elements of the spirit and perhaps uplifting some of the earthiness, but it never felt in competition or combat with the peated malt.

The wife thought this was on the cusp of being something special and awarded it a rare half-point as she could not decide if it had fully crossed from being a 3/5 to a 4/5. My score signals something similar— this was very good, and I would not mind having a bottle, but it lacked the depth or complexity to carry it up to the next level. Perhaps if some of those savory notes had carried through longer or onto the finish.

Overall, this was one of the best Brave New Spirits whiskies we tried— just a startlingly tasty young Ardmore.