Ardmore vs. Ardlair
A.D. Rattray v. Càrn Mòr | 55.7% & 47.5% ABV
Same Distillery, Wildly Different Drinks.
Every now and again, something comes along and pops your knowledge bubble, teaching you that you don’t know sh*t. You guessed it: this was one of those experiences.
Like a few other Dramface writers, I have a soft spot for Ardmore — I’m sure a few readers do as well. As I was sitting down to write this review, I noticed one of our illustrious founders, Dallas, had dropped a draft in our shared workspace for a very similar Ardmore vs. Ardlair comparison. Therefore, rather than duplicating the distillery background and so on, I’ve taken a different tack.
My point is that with the premium pricing of Islay peated whiskies, we should be looking for alternatives. There are a wide variety of distilleries producing peated spirits; many of them are used in blends. Unless you are willing to purchase from a random distillery, and often from an independent bottler, how are you to know what whiskies are peated and whether they are consistently producing good products? Well, that’s where whisky reviewers can help guide you through the experience.
For many whiskyphiles “in the know,” Ardmore is a hidden gem. It produces consistently good peated whisky and can be found fairly easily in the neutered official bottlings or from independent bottlers offering higher strength, natural colour, non-chill-filtered releases. Ardmore uses mainland peat which lends itself to a drier, ashier, “cleaner” peat smoke compared to Islay whiskies, which tend to be damper and have some medicinal aspects. I don’t fully trust the phenolic ppm measurements, but I would qualitatively classify Ardmore as a “medium” level of peat. It’s not going to hit you like an Ardbeg or a Laphroaig, but it’s far from “lightly peated.“ So if you are looking for peaternatives to combat rising Islay prices, I would recommend Ardmore.
Another interesting factoid is that for a portion of the year, Ardmore produces unpeated spirits that are released under the Ardlair moniker. Being a fan of Ardmore releases, especially those from independents, I had to snatch up an Ardlair that came into my local market, especially as it came at a decent price and age. As a bonus, the ex-bourbon barrel promised to let the distillate sing.
Review 1/2
Ardmore 12yo, distilled 2009 and bottled 2021 from ex-bourbon barrel(s) by Càrn Mòr
748 bottles, 47.5% ABV
CAD$ 112/£69, limited availability
Nose
Slightly charred orange rind like you might find in a proper Old Fashioned. Dense sugary vanilla sweetness riding sidecar to the orange. Tiniest hint of background smoke, but that might be from the power of suggestion, knowing this is an Ardmore.
Palate
Now, there’s the smoke. It’s a clean, dry, earthy highland peat smoke, devoid of Islay-esque medicinal qualities; it leads the taste experience and fades gracefully with time. Indistinct citrus notes follow, accompanied with slightly cheek-puckering tannins and a good dose of black pepper. For some reason, the citrus notes remind me of orange/lemon Pledge furniture cleaner (if you are familiar with the product). The taste is far less sweet and more devoid of vanilla notes than the nose would lead you to believe, providing a surprising experience upon first sip. A dash of water amps up the sugars and vanilla while simultaneously tamping down the smoke and pepper. Personally, I believe a dash of water brings this whisky into balance.
Score: 6/10 BB
Review 2/2
Ardmore 11yo, distilled 2011 and bottled 2022 from an ex-bourbon barrel #800145 by A.D. Rattray, Individual Cask Release series
217 bottles, 55.7% ABV
CAD$ 110/£68, limited availability
Nose
Floral and fruit. Fruit and floral. These notes bounce back and forth, anchored by a wonderfully sweet honey-cream vanilla foundation. The following notes are in no particular order: papaya, cold cream or mild greek yogurt, hint of passion fruit, agave syrup, real vanilla, an orchard in full blossom on a cold misty spring morning, and oats soaked in milk overnight sweetened with honey. It’s wonderful.
The cask strength ABV is undetectable; if I were none the wiser, I’d believe this to be a bottom 40%-er. Also, upon first crack and the neck pour, there was a distinct dill note that I couldn’t shake and wasn’t a fan of. Letting the bottle sit a few weeks and pouring a few drams allowed this note to disappear.
Palate
Intense and densely packed flavours. Fizzy and effervescent. The papaya/passion fruit combo is counterpointed by a dash of white pepper. Spritz of lime zest. It’s wonderfully silky and creamy, like the fluffiest and smoothest vanilla yogurt you can imagine. It’s a beautiful combo that rides in waves across your tongue, with each note appearing distinctly before fading, allowing the next flavour to have its time in the spotlight. Trailing barley sugar and cinnamon at the end.
Again, the high ABV is well hidden, tricking my mind into thinking this to be a 45-48% dram. The same story with the dill on the neck pour; thankfully, again — for my preferences at least — the dill flavour disappears with some breathing.
The Dregs
Given the relative rarity of finding an Ardlair in the wild, I don’t know if my notes above are typical of the unpeated expressions from the Ardmore distillery or if this ex-bourbon barrel had some really interesting things happening with the new-make spirit. Based on the atypical colour of this Ardlair, I’m leaning towards the latter option, but I would love to know if you have had an Ardlair in the past and what your experiences were.
But wow, what an educational experience. I have experienced some of those individual notes in other whiskies but have never experienced all of them at once — much less such insane creaminess. All from a random bottle purchase of spirit from a distillery that rarely sees the light of day outside of Teacher’s! I know I will be buying more Ardlair if I ever come across it.
The Ardmore is far less creamy, and it’s not as well integrated. The mouthfeel is thinner and harsher, with more pepper and tannins throughout. It’s not a bad thing, just surprising following the gentle and welcoming nose — and compared to the über-creamy Ardlair. And speaking of the smell, the nose of this whisky is fantastic. I would happily nose this whisky for hours. For reference, if you have had and enjoy Port Charlotte 10 yo, then an ex-bourbon Ardmore is going to be right up your alley, likely owing to the use of mainland peat by both distilleries. It does still come off as less peaty than the Port Charlotte, making it an easy-drinking everyday dram.
Go buy some Ardmore/Ardlair, especially from an independent bottler. You are unlikely to be disappointed.
Score: 7/10 BB
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