Ardmore 13 Year (2009), LMDW Artist #13 Cask 90909872
A quick note before anything else. This week, five of my LMDW Artist Series reviews were done with industry samples provided free of charge and without any pesky strings attached; this message precedes each of those reviews. As ever, I am unsure if that led me to grade harder or easier, but I prefer ant entanglements to be upfront. For more, check out the ethics statement we use on Maltrunners.com.
Whisky: Ardmore 13 Year (2009), LMDW Artist #13 Cask 90909872
Country/Region: Scotland/Highland
ABV: 56.8%
Cask: Bourbon
Age: 13 Years (Distilled 2009, Bottled 2023)
Nose: Sweet smoke and minerals, dry vegetation, metallic tinged tropical fruits and meat; soft brine with tar and dried grass.
Palate: Medium-bodied, oily, acrid and sweet, hot metal and tar, a touch of asphalt, more subtle grilled fruits and meats, more brine and minerals at the end.
Finish: Medium-length with fruit, smoke, and dried grass.
Score: 6-7 (79)
Mental Image: Beach Park Repaving Project
Narrative & Notes: Gentle, sweet smoke and sandy trails lined by Cook pine trees led to hot grills with caramelized pineapple and ham ready to serve. Grilled fruits and salty meat lingered with a touch of tar and roofing felt— a buffet of grilled treats under a hastily built beach shack. Medium-bodied and oily with a gradual evolution from acrid to sweet, phenolic to salty. Hot metal and tar stood out like a grill on new asphalt with hints of grilled pineapple and pork. More green mango and melon arrived toward the end with a touch of brine and salty beach sand. The finish was medium-length with a fruit, smoke, and dried grass.
Classic Ardmore notes of grill smoke, tar, fruits, and beachside bungalows were all present on this well-composed, standard-issue malt. There was nothing off or exceptional about it, it was simply well-balanced with all the elements I expect from the peated Highland staple. A few drops of water helped push through more of the tropical fruits on the palate and gave this an extra surprise for those patient enough, or willing to add just a touch of water to break up some of the initial phenolic grip.
Overall, a few notches above similar aged Ardmore in price and quality.
