53°
Distillery : The Ardmore - Speyside
1st Fill and Refill Sherry Hogsheads, 2d Fill Sherry Finish
Independent Bottling
By Decadent Drinks
Limited Edition
Single Malt
Bottled in 2024
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured
Medium Peated
This one is the third and final model in the Equilibrium series. The first two, released in 2021 and 2022, were Edradour. The third is an Ardmore. Each time, the aim is to find the perfect balance between Sherry and peat. This is the oldest, but also apparently the least peaty. As with the others, the name of the distillery is not given on the label, but it's no mystery that it's Ardmore, presented as a Highland distillery, when in fact it's in Speyside. This is a blend of two Hogsheads, one Refill from 1997, the other 1st Fill Sherry from 2000, both of which were put together in a 2d Fill Sherry for two years, before being released into the wild, after a slight reduction in alcohol content. It seems that the liquid has spent some time out of the cask, as logically it should be 23 years old, between 2000, the date of the last distillation, and 2024, the date of bottling.
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Let's Taste It :
Deep and dark sherry, with damp wood, fermented fruits, prunes, blueberries, candied damsons, amarena cherries. A few redcurrants. Cigar ash still warm, shovelfuls of soot, recently extinguished campfire. Earthy and chocolatey undertones. A touch of coffee. It's velvety on the palate, brown tobacco, sultanas, dates, soft caramel. Hazelnuts. It's very spicy, with pepper, cumin and cloves. The finish is fairly long, red fruits, woody, roots, liquorice, with pastry and forest notes.
In Short,
The Sherry is intense, the peat a little less so, you can hardly feel it. So the balance isn't perfect for my taste, but it's still a very fine bottling, with great depth and complexity. The price is a little high, but those who can afford it won't regret it.
Score : 89
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Mango in Euphoria - Lovestruck
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