Review #786 - SMWS 66.228 'Damp Blue Peat Smoke' - Ardmore 9 Year
There are many distilleries in Scotland that enthusiasts feel are not well-represented unless you taste them via an independent bottler. It could be that the vast majority of their distillate is destined for blends, or it could be that the official single malt bottlings are lackluster. Ardmore is one of these - supposedly lovely distillate, but the core range releases leave much to be desired. Luckily, this is an easy distillery to find in indie bottlings.
This single cask example from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society was aged for just 9 years; the first 7 of those were in an ex-bourbon barrel, but afterward, this received a finish of roughly 2 years in a refill Trinidad rum barrel. That's quite an unusual cask type - we're excited to see what influence that brings to the table with this peaty spirit.
At that ripe young age of 9 years, this whisky still sat at an impressive strength of 62.2% ABV at bottling time, and it was made a member of the Society's 'Heavily Peated' flavor profile; as always with SMWS, there's no need to worry about chill filtration or added color.
SMWS 66.228 'Damp Blue Peat Smoke' - Ardmore 9 Year
Scotland/Highland - Single Malt
Price: USD 115 (2022)
Age Statement: 9 Years
Strength: 62.2% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon barrel, finished in a refill Trinidad rum barrel
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled September 10, 2012; 218 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times (once blind) over 14 months from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Creme brulee and lots of sweet vanilla is backed up by dry charcoal and peat; it's salty with mineral notes and a bit of brine. Fruits like lemon, banana, and orange arrive, and we get some cinnamon rolls - quite dessert-like. It's punchy, and the longer this opens, the more creamy it becomes.
Palate: Peat is more powerful on the palate - it's a bit hot, full of charcoal, industrial notes, and some sharp black pepper. In the background, the rum cask shows again: sweet vanilla, very creamy. Wood smoke and jalapeno peppers mingle, and we get hints of menthol. The mouthfeel is medium-thick.
Finish: Toasted marshmallow, burnt creme brulee, sweet cream - strong rum influence. Day-old campfire ash and wood smoke combine with that lingering peat flavor, and it's a bit musty at times. This finish is medium-long.
Final Note: What a great juxtaposition of sweet dessert flavors from the cask and sharp, challenging smoke from the peat influence. This is a very rich dram, one that has nice complexity for its age, and there's a nice character to the distillate with those industrial or briny notes.
Value here is good as well - this is one of the more fairly priced SMWS bottles. Since this specific single cask is sold out, we'll be looking out for other young Ardmore single casks, especially if they have an interesting finishing casks, as there seems to be tons of character to dig into.
Our Rating: 8.1 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.68
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Ardmore reviews:
Review #594 - SMWS 66.229 'Tarred and Re-Feathered' - Ardmore 15 Year
