Alc Vol: 46%

Size: 70cl

In 2007, the producers decided to make Ardmore more readily available and launched Ardmore Traditional Cask, a NAS (no-age-statement) bottling of Ardmore single malt, peated at about 14ppm, and bottled at 46% ABV without the use of chill filtration but containing caramel colour E150a.

Ardmore’s Traditional Cask is a peated Highlander made up from a vatting of 6 – 13 year old bourbon cask-matured malts, The whisky is matured for the most part (about 6-8 years) in ex-bourbon casks, and is finished for at least a year in smaller 125 litre quarter casks, that were used frequently in the past to transport whisky, but are much less common nowadays (hence the name “Traditional Cask”).

The Ardmore Traditional Cask was discontinued in 2014 and replaced with the current distillery line up of Ardmore Legacy, Tradition, Triple Wood and the 12 year old Port Wood Finish.

Eye: The design of the cardboard tube with a golden eagle soaring above the distillery in a moody sky may seem a bit dated, but the bottle itself is kept simple and elegant. The whisky is pale gold +1 in colour, and thus does not seem overly colour adjusted.

Nose – At bottle strength (46%), the influence of both maturations compliment each other producing a full bodied smooth aroma. Red apple, mint, forest leaves, flint stone, milk chocolate, wood shavings and slightly medicinal peat smoke. The maturity comes from the American barrels and the spicy, creamy nose from the old style smaller casks. 

Taste – The full rich flavours burst and fill the mouth with a creamy peat tang and a touch of vanilla’s soft gentleness. Quite dry with bitter lemon, citrus peel, crisp apple, camp fire, hot ginger, porridge and brine. If a touch of water is added, then the flavours increase with the addition of a sweet ripe fruit start followed by a tang of peat.

Finish – Has a sharp edge, more, medium length with wood ash, fading vegetal peat smoke and a touch of bitter almond, caramel and sugary barley notes and a lanolin smoothness and more tapering smoke 

Verdict: The Ardmore Traditional Cask has a lovely herbal, dry character with a gentle medium peatiness. It’s great to see a bit of Scotch mist developing after adding a few drops of water. A dearly missed bottling from a rather underrated Highland distillery. 84/100