I am a huge fan of a curveball in a whisky tasting. Veering away from what people expect is important – it keeps them guessing about what might come next, but this whisky even managed to blindside me.
I love Ardmore. It’s a distillery that rarely disappoints (unless you buy their standard bottlings, which are very dull), but this one is peated, and I really wasn’t prepared for just how smoky it would be. It ended up being placed third in the line-up, partly because we needed to break for a re-pour at that point, and partly because I knew some people wouldn’t enjoy it – so I figured they could at least grab a beer and forget about it.
Aroma:
Herbal, heathery notes combine with gentle pipe tobacco. It reminded me of my grandad. The scent of Old Spice and surreptitious smoking.
Taste:
Rich peaty smoke with a salty, almost maritime quality that brings smoked kippers to mind. With further exploration it becomes creamier and richer, showing poached pears and more herbal notes, but the smoke is always the main driver of this particular whisky vehicle.
Real Dram Factor:
Smoky to the nth degree. One for the purists and the smoke heads — 7.2
You will like this if:
You love a whisky you can confidently drink round a campfire without fear of it being dulled by the experience.
ABV: 48%
Price: £70-80
Source: Purchased for a tasting.
More Information: https://elixirdistillers.com/brands/