Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 59.4%ABV
Ageing cask: Ex-Bourbon refill
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Whisky Facile
Average price: € 110.00
Official website: Whisky Facile
Vote: 89/100
In the world of whisky, we are not new to distilleries using different names for their bottlings, such as Laphroaig when, as an independent, it is identified as Williamson, or the peated version of Bunnahabhain becoming Staoisha.
Ardmore, one of the rare distilleries producing peated whisky in the Speyside, when it takes the smoke out of its distillate for a short period during the year, calls itself Ardlair (after the town near the distillery), and of course there is no shortage of independent versions of this alternative whisky.
The first in Italy to put one in the bottle, the young-ish folks at Whisky Facile chose this ex-bourbon cask in collaboration with Haus, a well-known cocktail bar in Bari: it’s been a few months now, but of the 237 bottles produced, you can still find a few around.
Tasting notes
The alcohol is initially pungent on the nose, but it’s really a matter of moments and the albeit significant alcohol content seems to fade, lifting the curtain on a sharp fruit profile (like Fruit Ninja): yellow apple, pineapple, grapefruit, gooseberry. Propolis. In the distance, the fruit lays on some tartlets in a general growth of pastry elements of almond confectionery and marzipan, all traversed by a full-bodied mineral vein. Some vegetal impressions of freshly cut grass in the background.
On the palate, it has a nice oiliness, of seed oil, combined with a lively dose of ginger and white pepper that enhance a sweeter character than on the nose, still made of fruit but dedicated to pastry: shortcrust pastry, lemon cream, sugar paste and candied grapefruit on which apple, pineapple and gooseberry return. Soft and cuddly? Absolutely not, it remains sharp with that very vivid mineral vein, of whetstone, with liquorice root, a touch of anise and rhubarb, propolis and yet another vegetal note in the background, at times almost pushing on to the smoke (burnt shrubs) but always keeping its distance. Strength evident only at the end of the sip.
The finish is long and (guess it!) mineral, where the vegetal vein becomes roasted cereal with propolis, crisp apple, almond candy and extinguished embers.
Not exactly a carefree dram, it requires time and concentration to grasp its nuances and complexity, which find a devious and anything but complacent accomplice in the alcohol content. It can also be savoured without much elucubration, the profile is nevertheless clear and evident, but it deserves time and empathy.