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Ardmore (Ardmore) is a Scottish distillery with a very respectable age, which cannot be said about the brand of the same name. Whiskey under this brand appeared not so long ago, although the company annually produces about 5,2 million liters of products. The fact is that 95% of the spirits go into the Teacher’s Highland Cream blend, one of the most popular scotches in the UK. The Ardmore line includes several types of drinks without age indication, as well as 25-year-old whiskey.
Historical information
The Ardmore distillery was built in the village of Kennetmont in 1898 by Adam Ticher. The distillery was originally intended to produce the base ingredient for Teacher’s whiskey, which has been blended in Glasgow since 1830. The company’s first owner, William Teacher, sold scotch at his wife’s grocery store and sourced ingredients from Scottish suppliers. The businessman received a license for the right to manufacture adhesive tape in 1856, but did not manage to build his own factory.
The entrepreneur’s dream was realized only by his sons. The village of Kennetmont was not chosen by chance – a longtime friend of the family, Colonel Leith-Hay, provided Adam Teacher with a vast plot of land, clean water sources were nearby, and the region was rich in quality barley. A branch of the railway passed nearby, which reduced the cost of delivering finished products. Scotch Teacher’s successfully entered the US market, and the company successfully grew and developed.
The distillery was reconstructed in 1955, as a result of modernization, the number of distillation cubes increased to four. Until the mid-70s, the plant operated its own malt houses, but then they were abandoned in favor of centralized supplies of raw materials. For a long time, coal furnaces functioned at the enterprise, only in 2001 they were replaced with more modern ones. The rights to the Teacher’s brand, along with the Ardmore distillery, were transferred to the Japanese company Beam Suntory in 2006.
Production features
The increase in production volumes has led to a gradual increase in the number of stills – at present, the plant has eight copper distillation tanks with a capacity of 15 thousand liters each. Their intermediate part is rounded, and the neck is thick and short, which makes it possible to obtain high-strength alcohols with an intense taste.
Former malt houses have been converted into warehouses for storage, aging takes place mainly in ex-bourbon barrels. At the end of maturation, the whiskey is poured into smaller containers, the so-called quarter casks, to increase the contact area with the oak.
Interesting Facts
- The release of Ardmore as an independent brand began with Traditional cask whiskey, then the line was supplemented with several more types of premium drinks, but the age is far from indicated on all.
- As in the early days of the distillery, the production uses the resources of springs flowing on Knockandy Hill at an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level.
Types of whiskey Ardmore
Ardmore Legacy, 40%
Whiskey golden color with aromas of cinnamon and toffee, which is mixed with a subtle hint of peat smoke. The taste is spicy, vanilla and heather honey predominate, notes of burnt wood are present in the background and do not overlap the overall bouquet. The finish is warm and silky, dominated by hot spices.
Ardmore Port Wood Finish, 46%
Aged for 12 years in a combination of American and European oak barrels, which brings more woody notes to the drink. The color of the whiskey is ruby-gold, strawberries, slightly burnt orange peel, cinnamon, cranberries, honey and spices are felt in the aroma. On the palate, shades of red apple, honey and smoke are intertwined. The finish is long and dry.
