Three Ardmore Single Malts: 16yo (The Whisky Agency), 27yo (Thompson Bros), 41yo (Decadent Drinks)

# Overview

# Ardmore 16 yo 2009 — The Whisky Agency (Monbazillac barrique, 49.5% ABV) Nose: Gentle yet sooty smoke with charcoal, crushed rocks, a hint of iodine and charred walnuts. Beneath the smoke is a clear sweet layer of apricots, pears in syrup and muscat grapes, plus honey and a light minty note.

Palate: More sooty smoke and ashes up front, with Corinth raisins, muscovado hints and barbecued pineapple. Sweet grainy notes appear, and mid-palate brings bittersweet oak char and a subtle sweet-mustard note. Finishes on burning logs, black pepper, herbal notes and clove while the ripe-fruit character persists.

Finish: Long and smoky with citrus peel and a drying oak edge. The Monbazillac barrique creates an unusual but natural-feeling union of deep peat and pronounced sweetness.

Availability: Still available in some shops, especially in Germany.

# Ardmore 27 yo 1999 — Thompson Bros (First-fill barrel, 50.5% ABV) — Score: 89/100 Nose: Dominant lemon and lime with a vibrant spicy oak. Pineapple cubes, subtle mango and aromatic peaches give it a rounder, brighter style than the TWA bottling. Subtle ashes, vanilla, light clay and menthol notes.

Palate: Fruit-forward again — gooseberries, melons and multiple peach facets — with a creamy mouthfeel. Chalky hints, subtle horseradish, herbal thyme-syrup notes, gorse and discreet medicinal touches add complexity.

Finish: Fairly long, turning more mineral and ashy with salty-fruit accents, citrus zest and drying walnut notes.

# Ardmore 41 yo 1985 — Decadent Drinks 'Whiskyland' (Refill hogshead, 45.3% ABV) — Score: 91/100 Nose: Peat is almost absent. The profile leans waxy and evolved: wet wool, paraffin, yellow apple, canvas and tropical touches like pineapple, melon and guava. Light tarry hints and orange juice with vanilla and honey appear later.

Palate: Very oily and waxy, continuing the tropical-fruit thread with light menthol and a whisper of smoke. Paraffin and almost lipstick-like notes develop, moving toward grapefruit, old fabrics and herbal tea. Little cask influence is noted.

Finish: Long with a slight dryness, showing evolved peat traces, mineral notes and subtle fruitiness. The waxiness elevates the overall impression.

Availability: Sold through Decadent Drinks and retailers such as The Whisky Exchange.

# What these three tell you about Ardmore The set illustrates clear development across extended maturation. The 16yo shows assertive peat wrapped in an unusual sweet cask character. The 27yo blends brighter tropical fruit and citrus with mineral, chalky smoke. The 41yo has moved toward waxy, evolved fruit and paraffin, with peat receding to a delicate trace. Cask type and age produce distinct textures and aromatic families rather than a single continuous flavor trajectory.

# Practical buying notes