Ardmore 2010

Less peated than usual for this distillery, and more in tune with the traditionally cleaner, sweet, flowery and malty style of Speyside, but it still exhibits an evident smokiness thanks to an unusually long finish of 42 months in a cask which had previously contained an Islay whisky. The result is a good match between peat, tar and maritime influences, and the freshness of the spirit. At the nose we have perfumy and fragrant notes of grass, pine needles, wet earth, and even a hint of beeswax. Aromatic, yes, and with a touch of smoke, but not overwhelming. At the palate it’s halfway between dry and sweet, with the malty character yielding a robust body, a muscular and juicy structure, but again with good freshness and a bit citrusy too. The sweetness of the cereal is matched by lemon peel, again pine needles, and the influence of the peat smoke – initially a bit shy – develops more and more with time in the glass.