Ardmore is the Highland distillery that most people associate with peat, though its smoke is gentler than its Islay cousins — more heathery ember than maritime bonfire. The distillery was built in 1898 by William Teacher to provide the backbone for Teacher's Highland Cream, and it continues to fill that role today. Independent bottlings offer a glimpse of the spirit unblended and uncompromised.
This Wilson & Morgan release was distilled in 2010 and bottled in 2022 after twelve years in refill barrels with an Islay cask finish. That secondary maturation is the twist: the spirit picks up a breath of coastal character — sea spray, iodine — that sits alongside Ardmore's own earthy peat. It is bottled at 46%, unchillfiltered, in Wilson & Morgan's Classic Selection range.
The nose is surprisingly gentle for a peated Highland malt. Breezy sea air, heather, pine needles, and a soft floral quality — almost perfumed — with a faint talcum powder note beneath. The palate is clean and drier than expected, the peat sitting on a relatively delicate note alongside lemon zest, cut grass, and a savoury edge. The Islay cask finish adds depth without domination.
The finish is medium, with the smoke fading into a citrus-tinged dryness. It is an elegant expression of Ardmore — proof that peat need not mean power, and that the right cask finish can add a new dimension without erasing the distillery's identity.
