[Review] Ardmore - 9 years old (Chorlton Whisky) 60.1%

A quick review of a sample of Ardmore 9 years old bottled by Chorlton Whisky. Ardmore is not a very popular distillery. It is in the Highlands to the east of the Speyside region. You do not come across many official bottles apart from the Legacy, the Port wood and the 20 years old released a couple of years ago. Even amongst independent bottlers, it is not a name you will see frequently on labels.
I reviewed the Legacy a couple of years ago and though that for the price it was relatively good value for money. I tried the Port wood which I enjoyed and now my first single cask.


This whisky was drawn from an ex-Bourbon barrel and only 153 bottles are available. As it is only 9 years old, it is quite pale in colour. It is bottled at natural colour and strength (60.1%) and it has not been chill-filtered. 

Nose: Sweet and smoky, a little bitterness/spirit driven (young + 60.1% abv...) There is quite a bit of fresh citrus notes in there, hints of ginger and a bit of white chocolate too.

Palate: It is different from what you could have expected from the nose. It is quite malty and not as citric at first, rich followed by some bitterness, a mix of ginger and honey, some burnt caramel.

Finish: The smoke becomes more present on the finish, some sweet and meaty notes, bitter dark chocolate, warm ash, relatively long, spicy and drying.

With water: The nose gets creamier, not as bitter/spirit driven, more honeyed green fruit, quite fragrant, green apples and pears wrapped in smoke. The palate becomes sweeter and spicier, The finish does get spicier too still with some smoky burnt toffee notes.

Overall, a very enjoyable, interesting and engaging single malt. A very good session whisky with which you could and should take your time and experiment with water. Personally, I enjoyed it more with a few drops in!
So if you're after different flavour experiences and all that without breaking the bank, it definitely pays off to explore less known distilleries!

Thank you David for this delicious sample!

Slàinte!

Picture courtesy of www.masterofmalt.com

Picture courtesy of www.chorltonwhisky.co.uk

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