Ardmore 2008/2015 Signatory Vintage 7 years old Vinmonopolet Single Highland Malt Whisky 40%

Norway buys its spirits through a state monopoly, and when Vinmonopolet picks a single cask it does so after a blind tasting with no regard for name or label. This cask made it through. It is number 21 in the series.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 2008/2015 Signatory Vintage 7 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a Bourbon Barrel and bottled at 40%. Cask 800083 was distilled in 2008 and bottled in 2015 as a single cask for Vinmonopolet, giving 357 bottles.

The combination is unusual: a single cask at 40%. Most single cask releases go into the bottle at cask strength, but here the whisky has been reduced to standard strength. In return it is neither chill filtered nor coloured, which at 40% requires a cask with real body behind it.

Ardmore makes peated whisky as its core style at around 12 to 14 ppm. After seven years in a bourbon barrel the smoke is still fresh and direct, with the cask’s vanilla and cereal standing clearly alongside.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla and pale malt first, with peat smoke as a dry line underneath. There is honey and green apple in it, plus a light soot or ash note that tells you peat is in play.

Palate

Soft and straightforward. Malt, vanilla and baked apple open, then the smoke arrives as a dry earthy floor along with a light peppery spice. At 40% it drinks easily, and the smoke never dominates.

Finish

Medium length. Malt, honey and a dry smoky note that lets go calmly without bitterness.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 2008/2015 Signatory Vintage 7 Years Old Vinmonopolet Single Highland Malt Whisky 40%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 7 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon Barrel, cask no. 800083
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2008
Bottled: 2015
Number of bottles: 357
Edition: Single Cask for Vinmonopolet No. 21

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Malty · Vanilla · Fruity · Soft · Dry

Investment Potential

Medium. Single casks for Vinmonopolet are not reissued, and they exist only in the outturn the cask gave, here 357 bottles. Because they are distributed through one channel in one country, they rarely surface on the wider market afterwards.

Did You Know?

Vinmonopolet was established in 1922 and has since been Norway’s only legal channel for the sale of spirits. That is precisely what makes their single cask selections interesting: there are no competing chains to accommodate, and the choice is made by a buying team rather than by a brand.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Ardmore 2008/2015 Signatory Vintage 7 Years Old Vinmonopolet Single Highland Malt Whisky 40%

What does Single Cask for Vinmonopolet mean?

That the cask was selected specifically for the Norwegian state monopoly and bottled for them alone. Number 21 refers to it being the twenty-first single cask release in the series. No more bottles of this exact cask will be made.

Why is a single cask bottled at only 40%?

Because the whisky was reduced to standard strength before bottling. That is unusual for a single cask, where cask strength is otherwise the norm, but it makes the whisky more approachable and yields more bottles from the same cask.

Is seven years young for an Ardmore?

It is at the younger end, but Ardmore’s peated spirit works well young. The smoke is fresh and direct rather than rounded, and the bourbon cask has had time to give vanilla and body without taking over.

What does non-chill filtered mean at 40%?

It is a deliberate choice and something of a statement. At 40% the risk of haze when the whisky is chilled is greater, so most producers filter. Here the filtration was skipped to preserve mouthfeel.

What does Ardmore’s smoke taste like?

Dry and earthy rather than maritime. The peat comes from inland Aberdeenshire and lacks Islay’s seaweed and iodine character. See our full range of Highland Whisky.

Is it a good place to start with peated whisky?

Yes. At 40% and with moderate peat it is far gentler than an Islay, and the malt sweetness gives you something to hold on to while you get used to the smoke.