Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 49.3%ABV
Ageing cask: Ex-Bourbon
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: Dream Whisky
Average price: € 75.00
Official website: dreamwhisky.com
Vote: 83/100
Let’s go back to the start-up (a term I personally find obnoxious, but that’s how they are defined) Dream Whisky and their bottlings, which so far are only two and mark the beginning of an interesting and hopefully long search in the field of single casks.
If with No. 2 they “played easy” by choosing a Caol Ila cask, in this case opting for a distillery that isn’t exactly among the most sought-after denotes a certain courage and, above all, a desire to experiment (which is at the heart of an independent distiller).
And this marriage between Ardmore (a Speyside distillery with a fairly small portfolio, made practically only of NAS) and a cask that has contained Laphroaig is very, very appetising.
In theory, at least: will it be so in practice?
The label, as with the other bottle in their series, is a little gem.
Tasting notes
The colour is straw yellow, all natural.
The ten years spent soaking up the aromas of Laphroaig, combined with those of Ardmore, have left a clear but gentle imprint of peat, a puff of smoke on which hints of flowery meadow dance with flashes of vanilla and an impression of white chocolate. A delicate and elegant nose, almost shy.
The alcohol warms the palate and the aromas become more decisive: lemon and a drop of honey spread over the meadow, with a hint of rhubarb adding a bitter note. The peat remains a frame that accompanies this softly coloured landscape, a relaxing and harmonious picture.
The finish is medium, the peat taking its revenge and leaving an ashy trail over the herbaceous scents.
A curious experiment, which does not show an overpowering personality but is a calm and non-trivial drink.
I really like the way these bottlers ‘think’, and am very curious about what is to come.