Ardmore

SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > A

ARDMORE

15 years old

40%
Distilled: 1977
Bottled: 1992
Trademark of Proprietors:
Wm. Teacher & Sons Ltd
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin
EMPTY

ARDMORE

18 years old

51,4 %
LAST BOTTLE AND EMPTY
Bottled: 1997
IN CELEBRATION
500 YEARS OF SCOTCH WHISKY
1494 - 1994
James MacArthur & Co, Ltd,
Edinburgh

ARDMORE

22 years old

43 %
VINTAGE 1977
Distilled 11.3.77
Cask No. 1184
Bottled 25.3.99
340 Genummerde flessen
Signatory Vintage
Scotch Whisky Co, Ltd, Edinburgh

ARDMORE

14 years old

40 %
Distilled 1987
Bottled 2001
Trademark of Proprietors:
Wm. Teacher & Sons Ltd.
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

ARDMORE

10 years old

43%
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled 25/2/92
Bottled 28/11/02
Matured in a Bourbon Barrel
Cask no. 1363
The Ultimate Whisky Company, N.L.

ARDMORE

9 years old

60,4%

LAST BOTTLE AND EMPTY
Date Distilled May 90
Date Bottled May 99
Society Cask No. code 66.7
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh

Built in the late 1890s by Teacher, between the ancient village of Spynie and Kenneth-mont in rural Aberdeenshire, the distillery still retains some of its original features. It is not bottled by its owners, so is rare.

This is an a-typical sample. Pale gold in colour, the nose is at once of perfume, medi-cinal shampoo (Vosene, to be exact) and herbs (coriander, Green Chartreuse), and with a faint musty note (old medicine chest). With water we detected Dentyne chewing gum, liquorice, cloves, mulled wine. Xnas spices and pot pourri. The flavour was sweet to start then slightly musty; antiseptic oberall, with Dentyne returning. Very curious.

ARDMORE

15 years old

43 %

THE ULTIMATE SINGLE

MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Distilled 26/2/90

Bottled 26/4/05

Matured in a Bourbon Barrel

Cask no 30011

Numbered Bottles

The Ultimate Whisky Companu N.L.

ARDMORE

13 years old

46 %

THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Single Speyside Malt
Distilled 23/06/92
Bottled 13/02/06
Matured in a Bourbon barrel
Cask no: 4878
Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltered
The Ultimate Whisky Company, N.L

ARDMORE

46 %

TRADITIONAL CASK
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
PEATED
Founded 1898
Matured for a final period in small 19th
Century style "Quarter Casks"
Non-Cill Filtered
Ardmore Distillery, Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire

Founded in 1898 by one of Scotland’s most famous whisky families, Ardmore Single Malt has

a long commitment to quality. William Teacher was a believer in traditional distilling methods

and insisted that Ardmore only used the aromatic smoke from natural, Highland peat fires to

dry our malted barley.

Sadly, today, the high cost has meant that only one Highland Distillery still routinely fully

‘peats’ its standard malt. Ardmore is rightly proud to be that distillery. Our traditional methods

extend to maturation. Ardmore Traditional Cask is double matured, first in the more usual

oak barrels, and then in much smaller ‘Quarter Casks’. These were common in the 19th cen-

tury, but are too costly for most distillers to use today

Since our establishment in 1898, the magnificent Scottish Golden Eagle has been a regular

visitor to the hills around our distillery at Ardmore and is our symbol of commitment to the

traditional ways

ARDMORE

1992

14 years old

46 %
Single Speyside Malt
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled: 23/06/92
Matured in a bourbon barrel
Cask no. 4889
Bottled: 28/03/07
Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltering
The Ultimate Whisky Company, NL

ARDMORE

22 years old

52,3 %

SINGLE CASK
SCOTCH MALT WHISKY
Date Distilled: March 85
Date Bottled: May 07
Outturn: 295 Bottles
Society Cask No. 66.25,

Cask Type refill Hogshead
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
'Pink Ladies and dark chocolate'

The largest distillery in the Eastern Highlands was built by Teachers and is a fingerprint

in their blends. They used coal-fired stills until 2001. This grubby-gold coloured sample

is from a refill hogshead.

The initial nose has digestives, hob-nobs and jam pudding but

then develops a heady perfume of Pink Lady apples and dark chocolate with some ginger

and a hint of smoke. The reduced nose brings rum-and-raisin, clove and nutmeg. On the

palate, Ginger Snaps and chocolate mingle with mellow smoke from garden bonfires or

heather hillsides. Water induces chocolate raisins and shortbread-sweetly dry with muted

smoke; very interresting

ARDMORE

1 9 9 7

59.0 %
15 years old
GORDON & MACPHAIL RESERVE
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
From Ardmore Distillery
Distilled date:21/08/1997
Working with the specialists at
Gordon & Macphail,
Van Wees has selected the cask for
this unique bottling
Exclusively Bottled for Van Wees
Cask Type: Refill Sherry Hogshead
Cask Number: 900665
No. of Bottles: 298
Bottling Month: September 2012
Unchillfiltered
Natural colour
Specially Selected, produced & Bottled by
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

Colour: Dark straw
Nose: Light and fruity with stewed pears, coconut and a hint of mint
Palate: Initially peppery with ripe banana, toasted malt and citrus note
Finish: Long and warming

ARDMORE

1 9 9 7

58.5 %
15 years old
GORDON & MACPAHIL RESERVE
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
From Ardmore Distillery
Distilled date: 21/08/1997
Working with the specialists at
Gordon & Macphail,
Van Wees has selected the cask for
this unique bottling
Exclusively Bottled for Van Wees
Cask Type: Refill Sherry Hogshead
Cask Number: 900669
No. of Bottles: 312
Bottling Month: September 2012
Unchillfiltered
Natural colour
Specially Selected, produced and Bottled by
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

Colour: Pale gold
Nose: Fresh and fruity, with a hint of cigar ash. Green apples and milk chocolate
flavours linger.
Finish: Long fruity with a tough of ash.

ARDMORE
VINTAGE 2 0 0 8
5 years old

46 %
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Speyside Single Malt
Distilled: 24/06/08
Matured in a Bourbon Barrel
Bottled: 06/11/13
275 Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltration
Selected by The Ultimate Whisky Company.NL

ARDMORE
VINTAGE 2 0 0 3
9 years old

46 %
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Speyside Single Malt
Distilled: 11/09/03
Matured in a Hogshead
Bottled: 29/03/13
310 Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltered
Selected by The Ultimate Whisky Company.NL

ARDMORE
Aged 11 years

58.1 %
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
FROM A SINGLE CASK
Date Distilled: 9th October 2002
Cask Type: Refill Barrel / ex Bourbon
Society Single Cask No: Code: 66.48
Outturn: One of Only 218 Bottles
Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
"Autumn fairground dram"

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been

passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for re-

lease as a Society bottling.

Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members

are selected, true to our motto: “TO LEAVE NO NOSE UPTURNED “.

The nose offers mild smoke and autumnal woody notes, tobacco leaf, Germolene and

leather medicine bags, The palate is surprisingly sweet ( caramel wafers, chocolate,

brioche, toasted marshmallows, ginger cake) but with barbecued meats and peat –

smoke providing a more masculine side,

The nose deliverd clean, mild smoke, then woody autumnal notes of coppiced hazel,

beech – mast and bonfires; eventually tobacco leaf, gorse, Germolene and leather

medicine bags.

Yes, there was peat – smoke on the palate too – but it was also surprisingly sweet,

with caramel wafers, drinking chocolate, fondant, brioche and ginger cake, before

developing more masculine, meaty flavours.

The reduced nose gave us cocoa – dusted chocolate truffles and sweet pastries against

rye bread, lemon, sweet smoke and sage and marjoram.

The palate, with toasted marshmallows and barbecued meats, had something of a fairground feel.

Interesting and slightly enigmatic whisky from the Kennethmont cratur crafters.

ARDMORE
Age 11 years

58,9 %
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
FROM A SINGLE CASK
Date Ditilled: 16th March 2004
Cask Type: Refill Barrel / ex Bourbon
Outturn: One of Only 197 Bottles
Society Single Cask: Code: 6 6. 7 2
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
"Pagan feasting round a fire"

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been

passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for re-

lease as a Society bottling.

Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members

are selected, true to our motto: “TO LEAVE NO NOSE UPTURNED “.

Flaxen haired maidens with narcissi wreaths carrying dripping tallow candles. Kaffebröd

(cardamon and fennel) wirth French salted butter. Sweet pipe tobacco and creosote.

Grilled Portobello mushrooms with ham on toast. Corn cakes wrapped in an oily rag.

Roasted xhestnuts. Spellbinding.

Fresh lily of the valley and narcissi wreaths on flaxen haired maidens carrying dripping

tallow candles. The dark forest beyond yielded sweet crab apple and pear. The feasted

on liebchen and kaffebröd ( pastries with cardamon and fennel seed) with slabs of

French salted butter.

To taste hints of the forest floor tangled with pecan, sweet pipe tobacco and creosote.

Grilled Portabella mushrooms with ham on toast, and then minty chocolate. A rain

shower brought out butter toffee, corn cakes wrapped in an oily rag. More nuttiness

emerged with roasted brazils, walnuts and chestnuts, and a long smoking finish.

Spelbinding.

ARDMORE
16 years old

40 %
Distilled 1 9 8 1
Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Bottled 1 9 9 7
Trademark of Proprietors:
Wm Teacher & Sons Ltd
Specially Selected, produced & Bottled
By & under the resposiblilty of
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

This full flavoured whisky is produced in a distillery

dating from 1898, on the Eastern edge of Speyside

at Kennethmont between the River Bogie, the

Clashindarroch Forest and the foothills of the

Grampian Mountains

ARDMORE

Aged 10 years

61.1 %
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
FROM A SINGLE CASK
Distilled: 5th Oct. 2004
Cask Type: 1st Fill White Wine Hogshead
Outturn: One of Only 268 Bottles
Society Single Cask: CODE: 66,73
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
"Midnight feast at pony club camp"

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been

passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for re-

lease as a Society bottling.

Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members

are selected, true to our motto: “TO LEAVE NO NOSE UPTURNED “.

Midnight feast at pony club camp

Ponies in a stable, damp hay and camphor scented blankets. Bacon flavoured crisps,

Bourbon biscuits, warm waffles thick hazelnut and chocolate spread, lashings of

ginger bee. Like “licking a creosote fence” and linseed hoof oil. Beef Wellington and

date pudding.

Imagine the exitement, staying up late at night with your chums.

The aroma of ponies in a stable mingled with damp hay bales,

Snuggled in camphor scented blankets they munched on bacon

Flavoured crisps, chocolate salted caramel, Bourbon biscuits,

butterscotch toffee and dried cranberries.

They guzzled warm waffles thick with melting hazelnut and

chocolate spread with lashings of ginger beer.

One panelist explained it was like “licking a creosote fence”

and onother found linseed hoof oil. Then a feast of beef

Wellington (they were posh), nut loaf, date pudding and

prunes, topped off with smoky grilled pork chop and humous.

ARDMORE
VINTAGE 2 0 0 8
7 years

46 %
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Distilled: 24/06/08
Matured in a Bourbon Barrel
Cask no: 800081
Bottled: 18/11/15
298 Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltered
The Ultimate Whisky Company.NL

THE ARDMORE

Est. 1828

LEGACY 40 %

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

LIGHTLY PEATED

Light and sweet, with unique

Highland peat – smoke notes

A unique expression of The Ardmore,

a marriage of peated and un peated

malt whisky

The Ardmore Distillery, Kennethmont,

Aberdeenshire

A complex process that yields an astounding result – the smoothly peated yet perfectly

balanced liquid that is The Ardmore Traditionally handcrafted in the Scottish Highlands.

The Ardmore distillery has been watched over by a family of rare eagles, since 1898.

This is a place, and indeed a process, that brings man, might and meatal together in a

celebration of the raw power of nature

Taste: Light, silky peat – smoke & creamy vanilla, balanced with sweet honey & spice.

Founded in 1898 by Wm. Teacher & Sons, The Ardmore distillery has continued to

uphold traditional distilling methods, using only the aromatic smoke from natural,

Highland peat fires to dry its malted barley

ARDMORE

Aged 14 years

54.7 %

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

FROM A SINGLE CASK

Date Distilled: 26th Nov 2001

Cask Type: 1st Fill Barrel / ex Bourbon

Society Single Cask No: Code: 6 6 . 8 3

Outturn: One of Only 222 Bottles

Scotch Malt Whisky Society,

The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh

A memory of Summer

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been

passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for re-

lease as a Society bottling.

Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members

are selected, true to our motto: “TO LEAVE NO NOSE UPTURNED “.

Maritime notes to the fore, supported by fragrant phenols ( aromatherapy oils, singed

wool), hot sand, dry beach towels, bonfire ash and light tar. The taste is sweet with

salty lime, white pepper and antiseptic cream.

Barnacles, brine and hemp rope in the foreground – although the distillery is nowhere near

the sea – becoming “elegantly medicinal” ( aromatherapy oils), with a trace of singed wool.

The taste at natural strenght is sweet and salty, with lime juice and scented herbs. Water

returned us to the beach; hot sand, dry beach towels, fresh laundry, plastic buckets, bonfire

ash and light tar.

ARDMORE

The largest distillery in the Eastern Highlands was built by Teachers and is a fingerprint

in their blends. They used coal-fired stills until 2001. This grubby-gold coloured sample

is from a refill hogshead.

Aberdeenshire. Licentiehouder Wm Teacher & Sons Ltd. Onderdeel van Allied Distillers Ltd. Eigendom van Allied Domecq Pic.

Ardmore wil zoveel zeggen als 'grote landtong', en werd gebouwd in 1898 door William Teacher

William Teacher was begonnen in 1830, toen 19 jaar oud met zijn eerste 'Dram shop', waar klanten voor gebruik ter plaatse een glas whisky konden kopen voor drie pennies.

In 1869 bezat hij 18 drankenwinkels en begom hij zich toe te leggen op het blenden van whisky.

In 1884 liet hij de naam 'Highland Cream' registreren.

Maar één jaar nadat William Teacher, Ardmore had gebouwd, gingen de blenders Pattison frauduleus bankroet en de whiskymarkt stortte kompleet in.

William Teacher kwam in ernstige moeilijkheden, en met hem vele anderen, maar Teacher kon dank zij zijn drankwinkels overleven.

In 1955 werd de distilleerderij met twee ketels uitgebreid tot vier ketels. In 1960 werd The Glendronach gekocht en de laatste drankwinkels verkocht. In 1974 kwamen er vier ketels bij.

In 1976 werd William Teacher overgenomen door Allied Breweries, die op hun beurt in 1981 werden gekocht door Allied Lyons.

In 1988 nam Allied Lyons, Hiram Walker over en Allied Distillers werden gevormd, waarvan George Ballantine & Son Ltd, William Teacher & Sons Ltd en Stewart & Son Ltd te Dundee, deel van gingen uitmaken-

Koel- en proceswater komen van bronnen van de Knockando heuvel. De ketels worden deels met kolen en deels met stoom verhit. Het is één van de grootste distilleerderijen van Schotland.

Ardmore is een heel traditioneel bedrijf met ook nog een eigen kuiperij.

Er staat éên Mash tun, groot 12 ton, veertien Wash backs: vier van elk 60.000 liter en tien van elk 30.000 liter.

Ardmore heeft vier Wash stills van elk 15000 liter en vier Spirit stills van elk ook 15000 liter.

De produktiekapaciteit is 2 miljoen liter spirit per jaar.

A large Victorian distillery, Ardmore has a heft and scale which is surprising given its gentle rural surroundings. It is also a rarity in terms of style – a peated Highland malt. For years it was the last distillery to fly this particular flag. It was also the second-last distillery to retain coal fires under its stills.

The peatiness (it comes across as woodsmoke) is balanced by a gentle apple/floral lift, the product of a regime which insists on clear wort and very long fermentation in wooden washbacks. The fires which once raged under the stills added a heavy, mid-palate weight, as did the downward facing lyne arms. When the fires came out, the distillery team spent seven months creating new steam coils with kinks in them to replicate the ‘hot spots’ in the stills which had contributed this flavour.

Since the steam has come in, an unpeated variant [called Ardlair after a nearby stone circle] has also been made.

It was in 1898 that Adam Teacher, son of Glasgow blender William Teacher, decided that the family firm needed its own malt whisky distillery. The site he chose, on the outskirts of the village of Kennethmont in rural Aberdeenshire, was on land owned by family friend Col. Leith-Hay [whose seat Leith Hall is open to the public]. It had water, there was a source of peat nearby, and the immediate surroundings grew barley. As significantly, given the vision Teacher had for the site, the railway between Inverness and Aberdeen ran alongside. By putting in a small branch line he could get casks and cow in, and whisky out.

Ardmore has remained in the Teacher’s stable ever since, providing smoke and also top notes to a blend which still sells over a million cases globally (its main markets today are India and Brazil). The original pair of stills were doubled in 1955 and then doubled again in 1974. Two years later, it became part of the Allied Distillers stable – the same year as the distillery’s Saladin maltings stopped. Its stills remained coal-fed until 2001.

When Allied was dismembered in 2006, Teacher’s, Ardmore and Laphroaig went to Beam and in 2014 it became part of the new Beam Suntory portfolio.

Its importance for its blend has meant that Ardmore has never had a presence as single malt. A quarter cask-finished bottling appeared a couple of years after Laphroaig Quarter Cask, but remained a small-scale release.

It has however built up a small but dedicated following among single malt aficionados who seek out the independent bottlings which appear – those from Gordon & MacPhail and Signatory Vintage appear the most frequently.

CAPACITY (MLPA) i

5.4

CONDENSER TYPE i

Shell and tube

FERMENTATION TIME i

54hrs

FILLING STRENGTH i

63.5%

GRIST WEIGHT (T) i

12.48

HEAT SOURCE i

Steam (heavy fuel boiler)

MALT SPECIFICATION i

Ardmore - medium peated,

12-14 ppm. Ardlair - plain malt

MALT SUPPLIER i

Bairds, Boort and Crisp

MASH TUN MATERIAL i

Cast iron body, copper dome

MASH TUN TYPE i

Semi Lauter

NEW-MAKE PHENOL LEVEL i

3.5-6ppm

NEW-MAKE STRENGTH i

67.5%

SINGLE MALT PERCENTAGE i

SPIRIT STILL CHARGE (L) i

15,500

SPIRIT STILL SHAPE i

Onion

STILLS i

8 (4 wash, 4 spirit)

WAREHOUSING i

6 dunnage warehouses

(3.6 Mola capacity) and

3 racked Warehouses

(3 Mola capacity)

WASH STILL CHARGE (L) i

15,000

WASH STILL SHAPE i

Onion

WASHBACK TYPE i

Wood

WASHBACKS i

WATER SOURCE i

Knockandy Hill (15 springs)

WORT CLARITY i

Cloudy

YEAST TYPE i

Cocktail of Mauri and Kerry

pressed yeast

Beam Suntory

2014 - present

Beam

2006 - 2014

Allied Domecq

1994 - 2006

Allied Lyons

1976 - 1994

William Teacher & Sons

1898 - 1976

2007

De Ardmore Traditional wordt uitgebracht: eerst gelagerd in Bourbon vaten, daarna gefinished in Quarter Casks.

In de lagerpakhuizen liggen ook vaten voor experimentele doeleinden: whisky in Quarter Casks, whisky met verschillende turfrook sterktes.

De unpeated single malt whisky, voor het grootste deel voor blending doeleinden wordt Ardair genoemed, de naam voor ‘Standing Stones’ in de omgeving.

WILLIAM TEACHER & SONS

A family-owned company until its takeover in 1976, William Teacher & Sons started out as a large chain of ‘dram shops’ in Glasgow before becoming a distiller and blender supplying whiskies worldwide. From humble beginnings providing blends for its shops, the company began to supply bespoke blends for the trade and grow its global footprint. One of these blends provided the basis for the brand that would make it internationally famous: Teacher’s Highland Cream.

In 1830 at the tender age of 19, former mill worker William Teacher obtained a licence for part of a grocer’s shop in the Anderson district of Glasgow. At the time, the shop was owned by the mother of his girlfriend, Agnes MacDonald. Six years later, Teacher and MacDonald had married and opened a second shop, this time a ‘dram shop’ in his own name. This purchase sparked the development of a chain of around 20 dram shops – licensed premises where frequenters purchased and consumed fine whiskies – making Teacher the largest licence holder in Glasgow.

In 1851 the company moved into the wholesale wine and spirits market, opening a warehouse in Argyll Street in Glasgow, and started creating bespoke blends to its customers’ individual requirements.

Teacher died in 1876, the same year his youngest daughter Agnes married Walter Bergius, bringing the other controlling family name into the company. In 1884, the company registered a brand name for its most popular whisky blend, Teacher’s Highland Cream, and also opened an office in London. A second office in Manchester followed in 1886. A year later, the company expanded its export markets and also began shipping mature barrels of whisky to Australia and back, believing the long sea voyage added complexity to the ‘Australian bonded’ brand. This practice continued until sea freight costs became prohibitively expensive in the 1920s.

In 1897 William Teacher & Sons constructed Ardmore distillery in Speyside in order to secure a supply of Highland malt whisky for the company’s fillings. Ardmore still provides the backbone to the Highland Cream blend today. In 1960 it added Glendronach distillery to its portfolio, and withdrew from the retail market with the sale of the last of the Glasgow dram shops.

A substantial amount of the mature stocks of Glendronach malt whisky were later exchanged for stocks of DCL grain whiskies through Glasgow whisky broker Stanley P. Morrison.

In 1976, due to needs for extra capital that would have seen the family’s holding slip below 50% of the company’s value, Allied Breweries was approached to take over the business. At the time of sale, the board contained a great-grandson and four great-great-grandsons of the founder, making it (at that time) the largest independent Scotch whisky company still under the control of the founder’s descendents.

Following a number of mergers and acquisitions in the Scotch whisky trade, William Teacher & Sons is now part of the Beam Suntory group.

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

Beam Suntory (Current owner)

D Johnston & Company

Destilerias y Crianzas

Morrison Bowmore Distillers

Stanley P. Morrison

Traditionally Ardmore has been the only distillery in this region who consistently produces peated whisky with a phenol specification of the barley

at 12-14 ppm.

The earthy Highland peat is lokally sourced from St. Fergus.

For blending purposes Ardmore uses the name Ardlair mostly produced in the first 6-7 months of the year and about half of the years output.

Ardlair has a longer fermentation time: 70 hours, Ardmore takes 55 hours.

1898

William Teacher & Sons starts the construction

of Ardmore Distillery,

1955

Two stills are added to four

1974

Four stills are added to now eight

1976

Allied Breweries takes over William Teacher & Sons

and the Ardmore Distillery

The own maltings, the Saladin system is terminated

1999

A 12 years old is rleased to commenmorate the

100th anniversary of Ardmore distillery

Also a limited edition 21 year old is launched

2002

Ardmore abandon direct heating (by coal) in

favour of indirect heating by steam

2005

Jim Beam Brands is the new owner by bying

20 spirit- and wine brands from Allied Domecq

for 5 billion dollar

2007

Ardmore Traditional Cask is released

2008

A 25 years old, a 30 years old are launched

2014

Beam and Suntory merger

Ardmore Legacy is launched

2015

Ardmore tradition is relaunched, a Triple

Wood, a 12 year Port Wood Finish are

released

2017

A 20 year old Double matured is released

2018

A 30 years old is released

2020

Capacity: 5.550.000 Ltrs

Output: 4.300.000 Ltrs

Ardmore is uniquely the only consistently fully-peated Highland Single Malt

produced since its inception in 1898. It forms the peaty backbone of the

malt-rich, Teacher’s Highland Cream blended whisky. Despite its size, Ardmore

still employs traditional distilling and warehousing methods and utilises

traditional equipment and materials.

Our Malts

Ardmore Traditional Cask

Ardmore Centenary (available at Distillery only)

Ardmore 25 year old

Teacher’s Highland Cream (blended whisky)

Opening Times

Visits strictly by appointment, arranged in advance

Visitor Facilities

Limited visitor facilities, but authentic working distillery

Guided Tours

Visits strictly by appointment, arranged in advance

Shop

Alcohol sales available 10:00 to 17:00 hours

On line shop www.ardmorewhisky.com

How to Find Us

On the B9002. From Aberdeen follow A96 by Pitcaple and take B9002

From Huntly, follow A97 and take B9002

Ardlair is de naam voor ongeturfde Ardmore. De grapjassen onder ons noemen het dan ook wel Ardless. De productie begon bij de overgang van kolengestookt, naar stoomverhit in 2001. Ardmore produceert deze niet rokerige variant alleen voor de blended industrie, met name Teachers. Erg leuk dus om dit een in pure vorm te kunnen proeven. De spirit vloeide op 27 januari 2011 uit de ketels. Rijping vond plaats op refill butt # 900037. De whisky werd met een leeftijd van elf jaar gebotteld op 13 oktober 2022. Dat leverde 539 flessen op bij een vatsterkte van 64.9%.

De Ardmore distilleerderij is gelegen tussen de dorpjes Insch en Kennethmount in de Highlands vlakbij de spoorlijn van Aberdeen naar Elgin. De naam van Ardmore is afkomstig uit het Gaelic en betekent "Big Headland" vertaald is dit "grote kaap of landtong". William Teacher's & Sons, een bekende familie van blenders, kochten in 1895 hier de grond en in 1897 werd met de bouw van de distilleerderij van Ardmore gestart. Door de goede ligging van deze grond met voldoende water en in nabijheid van de spoorlijn voor de aanvoer van kolen en gerst en de afvoer van de malt. In het jaar 1898 begon de distilleerderij met het produceren. In 1958 werd de capaciteit van Ardmore na verbouwingen verdubbeld en in 1975 werden er ook nog vier stills bijgeplaatst. Daarna werden de moutvloeren buiten bedrijf gesteld en tot fillingstore omgebouwd. De distilleerderij van Ardmore bleef tot 1976 eigendom van Teacher's en deze firma werd in dat jaar overgenomen door Allied Distillers. Bij de Ardmore distilleerderij worden de vier wash en de vier spirit stills nog op traditionele manier verwarmd met een onder de stills direct gestookt kolenvuur. De stills zijn derhalve voorzien van een dikke bodem. Om het aanbranden van de vaste stoffen te voorkomen draaien over de bodem van de wash stills ijzeren kettingen. Bij Ardmore distilleerderij zijn de veertien washbacks gemaakt van Oregon pine. Ook heeft men voor het repareren van de gebruikte vaten een eigen kuiperij om de vaten weer voor hergebruik te herstellen. Voor de rijping gebruikt men bij

Ardmore zowel sherry-, ex-bourbon- als refill vaten. Het water dat gebruikt wordt voor de bereiding van de malt haalt men uit 14 verschillende waterbronnen, die hun oorsprong hebben uit de Knockandy-heuvel, die ten zuiden van de distilleerderij liggen. Het koelwater komt uit verschillende beekjes die rond de distilleerderij voorbij stromen.