This is one of the oldest, and certainly the most expensive, bottles of whisky I have bought in a very long time. The Ardmore 27 Year Old from the folks at Decadent Drinks arrived as a birthday treat to myself, and after living with it for a few pours, I can say without hesitation that taking the punt was the right call. At £210 a bottle it represents a serious outlay, but for a near 30 year old single malt of this character, I genuinely believe it is remarkable value.
Let me start with the distillery, because Ardmore deserves far more love than it gets. It is an extremely underrated place, famous for years as the backbone of the Teacher’s blend, yet quietly capable of producing something extraordinary as a single malt. Every old Ardmore I have ever tried, I have enjoyed, and this expression confirms why.
Distilled in 1998 and matured for 23 years in a refill hogshead before a final four years in a second-fill sherry hogshead, it carries that dirtier, earthier, waxy, peppery style I adore. I bought it blind, trusting the reputation of Angus and his bottlings, and I am delighted to have been proven right.
On the nose it leads with fruit, soft raisin and date, alongside caramel, hazelnut and a savoury, almost cashew-like nuttiness. But behind all that sits the smell of old things. Mothballs, old herbs, a basil note, and the scent of weathered moleskin notebooks that once belonged to my late father and grandfather. It is strange to describe whisky this way, but that earthy, lived-in quality is precisely what makes it sing.
The palate is where it tells its full story. Like a great old Hollywood film, it opens with something everyone can grasp, sweet salted caramel and dark cocoa, before unfolding into farmyardy, gristy, hay bale complexity that genuinely recalls an old Brora. A huge crack of black pepper runs through it, tipping into a fizzy lemon soda note, while the peat sits back quietly, wrapped in a waxy, grease-proof paper texture that seeps into your cheeks. If you chase texture in whisky, this is massive.
My only quibble is that I wanted a touch more peat, though that is me lying to myself, since peat naturally fades beyond two decades. This is old school, funky, classically complex whisky that rewards every return to the glass. I am giving it a solid nine, and I am proud to own it.
Have you ever taken a blind punt on an old, expensive bottle and been rewarded? I would love to hear your favourite Decadent Drinks release.
To see my full tasting, check out my YouTube video.
Read the full article at Why the Ardmore 27 Year Old from Decadent Drinks Was Worth Every Penny of My Birthday Splurge
