Generally I love Cadenhead. And also, I tend to love Ardmore. So when MvZ was pruning his collection and I could buy this bottle from him, quite a bit below current retail value, I jumped on it.

Of course, it wasn’t the only bottle and the lump sum only increased with every bottle bought, I did a bottle-share and used it in a little tasting with friends a while ago. Still, there’s a bit left for myself, which I’ll leisurely enjoy over the coming months.

After all, you don’t get to try 1977 Ardmore all that often, right?

Sniff:
Warming with hints of honey and licorice, a gentle whiff of smoke behind it. Bayleaf, oak, some salinity. Some mint powder, sweet orange grapefruit. Some ash too.

Sip:
The palate is quite sharp, but continues with the sweet grapefruit, mintiness and ash notes. Quite a lot of heat, and therefore dryness.

Swallow:
Sweet citrus, ash, lemon balm. Grassy, some honey. A long and drying finish with a bit of an afterburner.

It’s not the most complex of old whiskies. Also, I don’t think the strength of near 60% ABV helps it a lot. However, it does what it does very well. There’s some personal preference here, but I like the smoke and citrus flavors this one brings. Of course, a dry whisky helps anyway, but I love it in it’s simplicity.

88/100