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Whisky Sponge Ardmore 22 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Review (2000)

By Alex Southgate Rating: B I’m having a month of returning to particular whiskies, and this is continuing with a return to the Ardmore Distillery. In this particular case, I am taking on a 22 year old expression bottled back in 2000, bottled by Whisky Sponge. I seem to remember enjoying my last experience with …

By Alex Southgate

Rating: B

Whisky Sponge’s Ardmore 22 Year Old (from 2000)
(Credit: Decadent Drinks/Whisky Sponge)

I’m having a month of returning to particular whiskies, and this is continuing with a return to the Ardmore Distillery. In this particular case, I am taking on a 22 year old expression bottled back in 2000, bottled by Whisky Sponge. I seem to remember enjoying my last experience with this distillery’s malt, so I’m more than happy to come back for another run.

Ardmore 22 Year old is Edition 69 of the Whiskey Sponge range from indie bottler Decadent Drinks. This single malt was distilled by Ardmore back in 2000, matured and then finished for over two years in first-fill sherry wood before bottling, coming out at a cask strength of 54.2%. The casks used for this expression were sourced from warehouses of Signatory Vintage, an independent bottler well known for selecting the best casks.

The Scotch
This is quite a viscous whisky on the pour, leaving noticeable legs on the side of the glass. Color-wise, this Scotch is a soft honey in hue and very appealing to the eye.

The first scent you get is sticky barbeque paired with creamy toffee. These toffee notes carry and are paired with hints of vanilla and lemon. The finish is smooth chocolate with a decent helping of dried fruit.

To the taste Ardmore 22 Year Old starts with roasted nuts which are joined by a burst of citrus which really livens up the palate. This zippy, zestiness continues through to the finish and is met by a beautiful assortment of mixed herbs. These earthy herbaceous tones are long lasting on the finish and are paired with sticky, oily notes that help that finish to stick around.

This is quite a complex whisky. This is the sort of tipple that you have to think about, in that it doesn’t give its secrets up easily. Relatively often I can get a good idea what a Scotch is going for from the first sip or two. In the case of this particular expression I’m not sure a glass was enough. This is the sort of thing that you really need a bottle of so you can the full benefit over a few well measured glassed.

Personally, I usually prefer lighter, fruitier whiskeys and the heavy herbaceous finish I’m presented with here is really unusual and It’s certainly not something I’m used to. I’d say this is a tasty dram with a slightly more acquired finish that on first try is a little strange, (for me,) but that would definitely be a grower over a period of a few glasses. In conclusion this is an enjoyable drink but not something I’d probably reach for on a whim.

The Price
Ardmore 22 Year Old Whisky Sponge is coming it at about £234.00, making it a fine addition for the collectors amongst you.

Balcones Cataleja Single Malt Review

Balcones Cataleja Texas Single Malt is a complex whisky matured in used Kentucky Bourbon barrels and then finished in a variety of Sherry puncheons. It is being released in celebration of Balcones Distilling’s 15th anniversary. Want to find out more? T…

The post Balcones Cataleja Single Malt Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Fighting 69th Single Malt Irish Whiskey Review

Fighting 69th Single Malt Irish Whiskey is the brand’s second release. It is matured in used bourbon barrels, then finished in sherry, port and rum casks. So what’s it like? Learn all about it in our review!
The post Fighting 69th Single Malt Irish Whi…

Fighting 69th Single Malt Irish Whiskey is the brand's second release. It is matured in used bourbon barrels, then finished in sherry, port and rum casks. So what's it like? Learn all about it in our review!

The post Fighting 69th Single Malt Irish Whiskey Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Rock Town Bottled In Bond Bourbon Review

Rock Town Distillery in Little Rock, Arkansas distills many different bourbons, as well as other spirits. Their Bottled In Bond Bourbon is distilled on their copper hybrid pot still, and has a unique flavor profile that changes considerably over the co…

The post Rock Town Bottled In Bond Bourbon Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Tempus Fugit Cocktail Cherries Review

By Richard Thomas Rating: A- Fugit inreparabile tempus. I’m a classics nerd, so I’m familiar with the origins of the phase tempus fugit, coming from the works of the Roman poet Virgil. It means “time flies,” and is an admonition against procrastination. The phrase has also become the namesake for a micro-distillery, Tempus Fugit Spirits, …

By Richard Thomas

Rating: A-

Tempus Fugit Cocktail Cherries and an Old Fashioned
(Credit: Richard Thomas)

Fugit inreparabile tempus. I’m a classics nerd, so I’m familiar with the origins of the phase tempus fugit, coming from the works of the Roman poet Virgil. It means “time flies,” and is an admonition against procrastination.

The phrase has also become the namesake for a micro-distillery, Tempus Fugit Spirits, which is centered on reproducing 19th century style spirits with an eye on mixology. They are best known for their absinthe, and they don’t make any whiskey at all, which raises the question of why I’m covering them for The Whiskey Reviewer. The answer is they have some cocktail cherries, and good cocktail cherries are a must have for Manhattans and Old Fashioneds.

It’s worth repeating what Tempus Fugit says about their pre-Prohibition derived process of making the cherries with “Kirsch-based syrup for added complexity and flavor. The addition of Gum Arabic contributes a velvety texture to the spiced sugar syrup that doesn’t simply dissipate in a cocktail, but subtly enhances the mouthfeel without having to overload the syrup with sugar and glucose.”

The Cherries
Hands down, these are my favorite cocktail cherries that are available at retail. I’ve had some that were better, but these were made by individuals for private use or for use at a particular bar; you can’t buy them. They replace my previous top choice (and incidentally, writing this reminds me I never reviewed them), Traverse City Premium Cocktail Cherries.

The Price
These excellent cherries are available for in two sizes, 225g (32 cherries) for $12.99 and 415g (60 cherries) for $19.99.

Denning’s Point Beacon Bourbon Review

Denning’s Point Distillery is located in Beacon, NY, in the scenic Hudson Valley. They distill a variety of spirits from local grains, including a few whiskeys. Learn more in our Denning’s Point Beacon Bourbon review!
The post Denning’s Point Bea…

Denning's Point Distillery is located in Beacon, NY, in the scenic Hudson Valley. They distill a variety of spirits from local grains, including a few whiskeys. Learn more in our Denning's Point Beacon Bourbon review!

The post Denning’s Point Beacon Bourbon Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Angel’s Envy Bourbon Review

Angel’s Envy Bourbon is finished in port wine barrels. It’s easy to drink, with relatively low proof, and just the right amount of fruit, caramel, rye spices, white pepper, oak & cedar to keep the flavors soft and balanced. Learn more in our revie…

Angel's Envy Bourbon is finished in port wine barrels. It's easy to drink, with relatively low proof, and just the right amount of fruit, caramel, rye spices, white pepper, oak & cedar to keep the flavors soft and balanced. Learn more in our review!

The post Angel’s Envy Bourbon Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Isle of Skye 30 Year Old Scotch Review

By Richard Thomas Rating: A- Having reached the apogee of the Isle of Skye ladder of blended whisky, I’ll not repeat the details of the brand or the maker, Ian Macleod Distillers. If you want those tales, you can go back and review the previous installments in the line. There are five of them, and …

By Richard Thomas

Rating: A-

Isle of Skye 30 Year Old Blended Scotch
(Credit: Ian Macleod Distillers)

Having reached the apogee of the Isle of Skye ladder of blended whisky, I’ll not repeat the details of the brand or the maker, Ian Macleod Distillers. If you want those tales, you can go back and review the previous installments in the line. There are five of them, and I have nothing new to write about the line as a whole, past recalling that probably the only reason the line is in the United States in its entirety (especially this expression) is because the TTB opened the country to imports of spirits in the internationally standard 70cl bottle.

This whisky is much like the others, in that it is a blend of grain whisky with peated Island malts plus malts from the Highlands and Speyside. It’s 40% ABV

The Scotch
The pour becomes substantially lighter in the glass than in the bottle, taking on a darkened copper coloring. The nose is earthy in the main, like a damp earthen barn or dacha floor with scraps of straw strewn about. That main body of the scent is most heavily accented with ash, rounding out that glamping shed character, but there is more: notes of cinnamon and dried strawberry and cranberry give what would have been a real character a side that isn’t so hoary.

The flavor is where the whisky really steps up and scores solid points. It’s just as earthy and just as ashy as before, but takes on a velvety, citrus-driven sweetness, rounded out by vanilla. The earthiness becomes more cocoa-like, and the cinnamon turns into a sliver of dry oak and tea tannin on the back end. Yet the finish fades rapidly down to the tiniest whiff of smoke.

The middle part of this experience, the palate, is marvelous, but overall I just couldn’t escape the conclusion that the nose bordered on underwhelming and the finish was a non-entity. That start and conclusion really held it back, limiting my grade to an A-, but with that A- being based entirely on the flavor profile, it certainly makes for some tasteful and refined drinking.

The Price
For a 30 year old blend, Isle of Skye is approachably priced at $321.99.

Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2013 Scotch Review

By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ From its modern revival in 2000, Bruichladdich has built an identity around a grain-driven whisky, rather than a maturation-driven whisky. That isn’t to say maturation isn’t important to Bruichladdich; it’s important to any whisky that isn’t on the market as some version of moonshine. But this brand doesn’t old and …

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

Bere Barley 2013 Single Malt
(Credit: Bruichladdich)

From its modern revival in 2000, Bruichladdich has built an identity around a grain-driven whisky, rather than a maturation-driven whisky. That isn’t to say maturation isn’t important to Bruichladdich; it’s important to any whisky that isn’t on the market as some version of moonshine. But this brand doesn’t old and ultra-aged whiskies. Their neighbors at Lagavulin have a 16 year old as their signature expression, while Bruichladdich tends to peak around a decade. This is a distillery that wants maturation to develop the flavors of their new make, rather than have maturation become those flavors.

It’s a key distinction. That goes a long way to explaining their Octomore line, which consists of the most heavily peated whiskies around. It’s not just waving a flag at the smokeheads out there. Long maturation moderates peat.

Bere barley is a strain of that grain which Bruichladdich has been working with academics to revive and bring back to the industry since 2005. With its specialized grain type, this was made unpeated. The 2013 in the name is the date of distillation, and it was matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and second-fill Pauillac wine casks, and bottled at 50% ABV.

The Scotch
This pour is pale straw colored, so pale that it is almost translucent. The nose smacked of an oily tropical fruit extract paired with the creamy vanilla one gets in the soda, with a sliver of dry oak.

Sipping on this whisky is a genuine, not-guilty pleasure, and those who beg sophistication to age will be surprised by how it got this way after just a decade (because a decade is still rather young in Scotch terms). That current of non-descript tropical fruit is still leading, but now it’s holding hands with cinnamon and brown sugar oatmeal. As I keep sipping on it, the fruit flavors evolve into dried apricot and pineapple, and hints of vanilla and coconut rise up. The finish delivers a light touch of dry, mildly spicy oak.

The Price
The MSRP for this whisky is $140.

Old Elk Rum Cask Finish Rye Whiskey Review

By Douglas Fraser Rating: B Old Elk has a distillery in Fort Collins, Colorado, but at present much of their output is contract produced or sourced through MGP in Indiana. Working with Greg Metze, the former master distiller at MGP and current master distiller at Old Elk, the company arranged to produce their own made-to-order …

By Douglas Fraser

Rating: B

Old Elk Rum Cask Rye Whiskey
(Credit: Douglas Fraser)

Old Elk has a distillery in Fort Collins, Colorado, but at present much of their output is contract produced or sourced through MGP in Indiana. Working with Greg Metze, the former master distiller at MGP and current master distiller at Old Elk, the company arranged to produce their own made-to-order whiskeys through MGP, rather than buying from their aged and unaged stock distillates.

The Whiskey
Old Elk Rum Cask Finish Rye is sweeter rye whiskey. There are strong notes of molasses. The whiskey is a minimum of 5 years old, 95% rye and 5% malted rye, and matured in 53-gallon, American oak barrel. The whiskey is finished in 14-year-old Barbados rum barrels for 2-5 months and bottled at 101 proof/50.5% ABV.

Color: Amber

The tasting is quite sweet throughout. On the nose are hints of rye spice, spearmint gum, charred oat, and molasses, and is rather floral. The palate continues with rye spice, spearmint, oak, dark chocolate, candied nuts, and baking spices. The finish is rather short and fades quickly with notes of floral and leather.

The Price
Old Elk Rum Cask Finish Rye can be found for around $110.