1987 Ardmore 30 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Ardmore 30 was released in 2018 and ranks as the oldest bottling from the distillery to date, matched only by a couple of indies. What happens to Ardmore when it ages is something like what happens to older Islays. The peat recedes and integrates. Drawn from refill barrels filled in 1987 and finished (for an unspecified amount of time) in 1st fill ex-bourbon, this high strength expression also comes non chill filtered. John Hansell of whiskyadvocate.com tasted a much earlier release, so the below notes are indicative only. What's certain is that the price is very fair when compared to the going rate for other thirty year olds, partly because Ardmore continues to fly under the radar. That may soon change. 47.2% Alc./Vol. Very limited stocks.

Other reviews... [53.7% ABV bottling]. The oldest Ardmore I have tasted. Smartly bottled at cask strength and not chill-filtered. (The entry level Ardmore “Traditional” is at the opposite end of the age spectrum, tasting quite youthful.) My initial concern with this 30 year old was: would the wood dominate the lovely floral, smoky notes I enjoy so much with Ardmore? The wood is certainly present, but the smoke still comes through. There’s a gently layered sweetness that complements the smoke (toffee, deep caramel, subtle honey), licorice root, bourbon barrel char, coffee grounds, and high cocoa chocolate, with subtle dried citrus and a suggestion of floral soap. Dry finish, with more bourbon barrel char and licorice root. Considering that Ardmore has historically been a blending malt, most of the stocks right now are much younger. This is a rare treat. It’s a wee bit thin in body and a little on the dry side from 30 years on wood for me to rate it in the mid 90s, but it’s still a very enjoyable whisky. - whiskyadvocate.com, reviewed by: John Hansell 2009