Ardmore (Ardlair) Thompson Bros 13yo
Ardmore Ardlair 13yo marriage | 48.5% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
A spicy and tropical atypical take on Ardmore
2025 & Still So Grateful For The Indies
The ownership in Scotch whisky in 2025 is a mixed bag: independents, family businesses, a small one or two head operation, perhaps a collection of investors or (by far the most common) a branch of a huge multinational.
When brands find themselves one of a huge portfolio of many other brands and products, do they find themselves lacking investment in time, creativity, focus or attention to detail?
In Scotch whisky there remain many distilleries we wish, as enthusiasts, we could see more of. Many have either a basic run-of-the-mill core range and many more may not even have a core range product at all. The reason is, of course, their focus on the huge volumes in blends.
There's nothing wrong with blends, let me make that clear. I'm looking through my whisky-geek lens and it seems obvious that having more official distillery releases available could go a long way to showcase how their malts might be presented to shine when released from the owners themselves.
Today’s review is a perfect example and one we’ve been shouting about at Dramface for a while; Ardmore. Check out this Dallas Mhor piece from two years back.
A huge component of the Teacher’s Highland Cream blended scotch whisky, Ardmore was born from the Teacher family’s desire to ensure a secure supply of their own malt. The decision was made by Adam Teacher (son of blender and founder William Teacher) and thus Ardmore was born. It remained a part of the Teachers Group throughout, eventually being included in the takeover by Allied group in 1976.
To say Ardmore has a 'core range' would be a stretch. There is the basic Ardmore Legacy widely available in UK supermarkets, for around £25-30 and often on offer throughout the year, especially at Christmas. Occasionally we’ll spot the travel retail-aimed Tradition and Triple Wood on retail shelves, but not reliably.
The other bottles however I don't think I've seen in the wild. My local specialist drinks brick and mortar shop sells a few 5cl bottles of the (now discontinued) Ardmore Traditional - a release that was non-chill filtered, 46% and aged in quarter casks. Of the few samples I've had previously, it was a tasty dram. The Port Wood Finish 12 Year Old evades me continually and their 25 year old is seemingly discontinued. Alas. If you were to speak to an enthusiast about what Ardmore can produce and the potential in the liquid, you’d likely enjoy their enthusiasm but it wouldn't be easy for them to recommend the current core range of official bottlings.
As a distillery under Allied, it was a workhorse for blends and the thought of a core release was nowhere. The enthusiasts and drinkers relied on Cadenhead’s and other indies to buy up casks in order to sample this malt standing on its own two feet. Then in 2006, Jim Beam bought it after Allied was dismembered (sounds horrific). However, Ardmore was sadly overshadowed by the only other Scotch in the Jim Beam distillery portfolio at the time: its ever-popular peat monster sister, Laphroaig.
Eventually Suntory took over Jim Beam (to become Beam Suntory group) and had acquired both Laphroaig and Ardmore. We all remain hopeful that Ardmore will finally get its moment in the spotlight and the attention it deserves. Why the optimism? Well, the distillery owners from Japan have recently been generous with investments into Glen Garioch, as well as doing a lot to promote siblings Auchentoshan, Bowmore and the aforementioned Laphroaig. Not to mention some other Japanese-owned examples such as the great work done by Takara Shuzo to promote Tomatin and Cù Bòcan as single malts and Nikka permitting an extension to their Ben Nevis core range malts in recent times. But alas, with Ardmore, we’re still waiting for someone to showcase this wonderful distillery in its true light and show us all the potential Ardmore truly has - direct from the distillery.
How do we know of this potential? Well, leave it to the indies, again!
Which is, actually, not a bad thing at all. From Watt Whisky to Signatory and elsewhere, you can pick up many different variations and takes on Ardmore and usually for great prices too.
If you’re not sure exactly where to begin to look for a decent Ardmore indie, pay attention and move quickly when Thompson Brothers come calling and release one. Sometimes, you might find experimentation where it’s not just peated Ardmore or unpeated Ardlair, but a play with blending both. Which is what we have here today.
Review
Ardmore 13yo, Thompson Bros marriage of Ardmore (peated) and Ardlair (ardmore unpeated), 2 refill barrels, 48.5% ABV
£60 now sold out
13 year old Ardmore bottled by Thompson Brothers at 48.5%. A combination of a peated Ardmore cask from 2009 and an unpeated 2010 Ardlair cask. Ardlair being the trade name for the unpeated malt that’s made at Ardmore distillery. I’ve never had Ardlair on its own before, so can’t speak as to how it tastes or how much of that is present within this whisky flavour profile.
This was a kind birthday present from my wife and I’m delighted with this bottle. I’m also a huge fan of the offerings that Thompson Bros release. The transparency, range of distilleries, fair prices and exceptional labelling on their bottles too. You might, like me, find yourself tempted to collect them all and keep them as one large art collection.
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
A spicy and tropical atypical take on Ardmore
Nose
Lemon zest. Icing sugar. Pine needles and fresh rhubarb. Strawberry jam. White pepper and warm white paper from a printer. It turns quite tropical with pineapple and kiwi. Sherbet sweets with tiny wafts of smoke and raisins in the mixture. Some honey and oat crackers, with a slight nutmeg and spiced element. Smells much more potent than 48.5%.
Palate
Nice blast of tropical fruit and pepper. Passion fruit and pineapple mixture. BBQ meats, reminding me of honey-cured bacon. Prickly on the tongue with a lick of cayenne pepper and a lovely smoked wood finish. Over-ripened peach. A hint of melted butter on toasted Soreen (malted) bread. Medium to long on the finish with peat smoke and coal lingering before becoming a little dry and bitter.
The Dregs
Another Thompson Bros and another belter of a bottle. These days when an Ardmore is released, and priced like this, it’s a no brainer from me. It’s probably one of, if not at the very top of, my favourite distilleries list. Such grip and a fun experience each time I try an Ardmore. The entry level Legacy has its place, it does allow you to sip and enjoy Scotch with company. But I think today we expect a bit more from malt, especially when we know what the distillery can actually deliver, and this Thompson Bros will live up to that expectation.
It’s a pity this one is sold out, I looked to pick up another right away, but there will always be more. More Ardmore, more whisky and plenty more coming from the independent bottlers.
Thank you indies, you wonderful bunch, for showcasing malts that are shackled by their owners’ distractions.
You might pick this up on auction if you’re lucky but keep an eye for other independent Ardmores that appear. Pop and enjoy the brilliance that is Ardmore.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. HF
-
Dramface is free.
Its fierce independence and community-focused content is funded by that same community. We don’t do ads, sponsorships or paid-for content. If you like what we do you can support us by becoming a Dramface member for the price of a magazine.
However, if you’ve found a particular article valuable, you also have the option to make a direct donation to the writer, here: buy me a dram - you’d make their day. Thank you.
For more on Dramface and our funding read our about page here.
