Ardmore 12 years old Valinch & Mallet 2009/2021 Single Highland Malt Whisky 52,2%

A valinch is the copper tube you push into a cask to draw a sample. Two Italians named their company after that very tool, and after the mallet that knocks the bung loose. It says rather precisely what they do.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 12 Years Old Valinch & Mallet 2009/2021 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a Sherry Hogshead and bottled at 52.2%. Cask 706023 was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2021, giving 338 bottles.

Ardmore makes peated whisky as its core style, which is unusual for a Highland distillery. The smoke sits at around 12 to 14 ppm, moderate compared with Islay but clear enough to give the whisky a dry earthy floor. Combined with a sherry cask it produces a profile where dark fruit and smoke pull in opposite directions.

A hogshead holds around 250 litres, so between a bourbon barrel and a sherry butt. It gives more wood contact per litre than a butt, which is why twelve years in a hogshead can travel further than twelve years in a larger cask. Valinch & Mallet was founded in 2015 by two Italian friends.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and dark orange first, with peat smoke as a dry undercarriage. Behind them come toasted malt, walnut and a hint of leather. The smoke is not maritime, it reads more like smouldering wood than sea air.

Palate

Full and in two halves. The sherry’s dried fruit and chocolate open, then the smoke enters from the side along with black pepper and a dry oak tannin. At 52.2% the concentration is good, and the two elements keep each other in check the whole way.

Finish

Long. Smoke, dark fruit and spiced oak leave together, with a dry ash note right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 12 Years Old Valinch & Mallet 2009/2021 Single Highland Malt Whisky 52.2%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Valinch & Mallet
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 52.2%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry Hogshead, cask no. 706023
Distilled: 2009
Bottled: 2021
Number of bottles: 338

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Sherry Matured · Dark Fruit · Spiced · Cask Strength · Nutty

Did You Know?

The word valinch describes the copper tube a warehouse manager pushes down through the bung hole to draw a sample, and a mallet is the wooden hammer that knocks the bung loose again. Valinch & Mallet have therefore named themselves after the two tools an independent bottler uses most, the ones in your hands when you decide whether a cask is good enough.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Ardmore 12 Years Old Valinch & Mallet 2009/2021 Single Highland Malt Whisky 52.2%

What is a hogshead?

A cask of around 250 litres, typically built from staves of several bourbon barrels with new heads fitted. It is larger than a barrel and smaller than a sherry butt, giving a mid-paced maturation: more wood contact than a butt, less than a barrel.

Is a 12 year old single cask Ardmore worth the outlay?

The case rests on the combination: peated Highland spirit, a sherry cask, cask strength and only 338 bottles. Official Ardmore bottlings exist, but rarely at cask strength from a single cask. This is the kind of bottle you buy to meet the distillery undiluted.

How peated is Ardmore?

Around 12 to 14 ppm, so moderate. It is a long way from Islay’s heaviest, but clearly present, and the smoke is drier and earthier than the maritime medicinal style from the coast.

Who are Valinch & Mallet?

An independent bottler founded in 2015 by two Italian friends. Italy has a long tradition of whisky bottling, several of the most respected independent houses are Italian, and historically they had access to casks the British themselves overlooked.

How does peated Highland compare with Islay?

Drier and earthier, without seaweed, iodine and salt water. Islay peat comes from coastal bogs with maritime deposits, while Ardmore’s peat comes from inland. See our full range of Highland Whisky.

Does it need water?

Try it neat first. At 52.2% the balance between smoke and sherry is fine, and too much water can shift it. A few drops can open the fruit, but go slowly.