Ardmore 2009/2023 Signatory Vintage 13 years old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%

Second fill after Islay. Two words that say a great deal: the cask has held bourbon, then a heavily peated Islay, and now Ardmore for thirteen years. There is not much force left in the wood, and that is exactly the point.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 2009/2023 Signatory Vintage 13 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in second fill bourbon casks after Islay whisky and bottled at 46%. It was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2023 in Signatory’s Un-Chillfiltered Collection.

The difference from a first fill is marked. A second fill cask gives up less vanilla, less colour and less tannin, so Ardmore’s own peated character gets far more room. What Islay phenols remain in the staves are correspondingly muted, sitting as a suggestion rather than a layer.

Thirteen years is a long time for a cask that gives little. The result is a whisky where the spirit stands at the front and the wood keeps to the background. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dry smoke and toasted malt first, with honey and a light citrus peel behind. The vanilla is subdued, and a clean cereal note runs through it all. This is the spirit talking, not the cask.

Palate

Malty and dry. The smoke arrives early and stays, with honey and baked apple underneath. There is a light saline undercurrent from the cask’s Islay past and a dry, peppery turn mid-palate. At 46% the body is good without being heavy.

Finish

Medium and dry. Ash, malt and a lightly bitter oak note that lets go cleanly.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 2009/2023 Signatory Vintage 13 Years Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Second fill bourbon casks after Islay whisky
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2009
Bottled: 2023
Edition: The Un-Chillfiltered Collection
EAN no.: 5021944121717

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Malty · Dry · Honeyed · Spiced · Clean

Did You Know?

Ardmore was the last Scottish malt distillery to use coal-fired stills. Only in 2001 did it switch to steam heating. Direct fire gives a slightly more scorched, meaty spirit, so whisky distilled at Ardmore before the turn of the millennium has a different character from what is made today.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Ardmore 2009/2023 Signatory Vintage 13 Years Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46%

What is the difference between second fill and first fill?

A first fill is the first time the cask is used for Scotch whisky after its original contents. The second time there is less left to give: less vanilla, less colour and less tannin. The spirit’s own character therefore has more to say.

Can you still taste Islay in the cask?

Only faintly. By the second filling most of the phenols from the Islay whisky have already been drawn out, so what remains sits as a saline suggestion rather than a separate layer of smoke.

Why use a cask that gives so little?

Because it is a way of letting the distillery step forward. At thirteen years an active cask would have dominated. Here the balance has tipped the other way, so you get a clearer sense of what Ardmore itself makes.

How does it differ from the eleven year old in the same range?

The eleven year old sat in first fill casks after Islay and therefore carries more smoke and more wood. This one is second fill and two years older: drier, cleaner and more malt-driven.

What characterises Ardmore’s spirit?

Moderately peated at around 12 to 14 ppm, with a dry earthy smoke and a firm malty body. It is a Highland style that sits closer to smoke than to fruit. See our full range of Highland Whisky.

Is 46% enough for a thirteen year old whisky?

Yes. 46% is exactly enough to avoid chill filtration, and after thirteen years the whisky is rounded anyway. Cask strength would have given more concentration but also less of the light, clean character this release is built on.