Ardlair 11 - 57.5% - AD Rattray
- Known as Ardlair, distilled at Ardmore
- 11 Years Old
- Cask Type: Bourbon Barrel
- Cask No: 800144
- Distilled: 22.09.2010 & Bottled: 23.09.2021
- Number of Bottles: 233
- Cask strength: 57.5%
- Un-chill filtered & Natural colour
Cask Notes
An unpeated make from Ardmore distillery. Certainly “Ard-less” when it comes to peat, but with no shortage of “f-lair”.
Tasting Notes - Citrus Fruit and Malt
Colour: Glistening gold.
Nose: White peach, porridge oat, peppercorn and lime.
Palate: Apple flapjack, Manuka honey and lemongrass.
Finish: Grapefruit and almond butter on a robust, malty backbone.
Tasting Notes:
Appearance: Straw colour, beads quickly break and fall as slow, thin legs.
Nose: Lemon and lime citrus, tart green apple, oatcakes, a hint of menthol cooling and mild pepperiness. Dusty library books come through with time in the glass.
Palate: Honey and nut breakfast bars, baked apples with maple syrup, cinnamon spice. A little water brings out more caramel and a mocha note.
Finish: Soreen malt loaf, stewed apple with cinnamon, warming chilli heat, tobacco and old leather, just a hint of barrel char.
Summary: This is a veritable wolf in sheep’s clothing, a big, robust whisky with a palate and finish completely unexpected from the nose. I’ve enjoyed the peated Ardmore whiskies on a regular basis but this was my first time with the unpeated ‘Ard-less’ version. It just goes to show you don’t always need peat to produce a big, bold whisky with bags of character.
A big thank you to Mick at The Whiskey Chaps for the opportunity to try this one.
If you would like more information on AD Rattray and their range of whiskies, please visit the company website.
