Ardmore 2009 Claxton's Exploration 11 years 50% (refill PX hogshead)
Continuing on our Claxton’s Exploration. We’ve got an Ardmore – single malt, very much disclosed distillery. There’s no mystery this time, but the coordinates are 57.35N, 2.74W.
Colour Honey.
Nose Cedarwood and lacquer. Herbal bouquet garni: rosemary, mint, coriander. Peppercorns. Milk chocolate and chilli. Floral malt with a stir of caramel. Light woody peat and smoke.
Palate Looking like we’re starting off with some syrupy raisins. Very sweet. Wait. Chocolate bomb! Huge amounts of milk chocolate combined with a whack of woody peat – the perfect amount. Cedar. Moving into all smoke and chocolatey malt. It’s like someone took a hot chocolate and set it on fire. Malty, caramel body, milky texture. A little bit spicy and that herbal note from the nose flows through here.
Finish Impressively long, unexpected. Hot chocolate. smoke. Hazelnut pralines. Sugared. Leather.
Comments Chocolate and woody peat smoke. A milk chocolate hazelnut praline in a bottle. Impressive, but mostly huge amounts of fun. 86/100.
