Tag: cask strength

Signatory Vintage, Ardmore 2009, Vine & Table selection

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Bottler: Signatory, Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland, UK

Region: Highlands

Style: Peated single malt whisky.

Age: 8 y/o

Notes: Distilled: 10/22/09, bottled: 7/17/18, bourbon barrel cask, cask #706320, bottle 117/247.

ABV: 59.2% (cask strength).

Price: $94 (Vine and Table exclusive)

Appearance: Light straw.

Nose: Smoky peat, alcohol, sweet malt. With water: Still potent. Tobacco smoke, baked pie crust.

Palate: Full-bodied. Butterscotch, ash, burn. With water: sweeter and creamier. Vanilla icing, smoky dark chocolate.

Finish: Peaty and dry. With water: tamer, but still peaty.

Parting words: I bought this Scotch last year when I was in Indianapolis visiting family. I was looking for a sweet, creamy single malt to sit alongside a smoky one I had open already. This 8 y/o Ardmore was not that, but that’s been more than ok!

I wouldn’t call this Ardmore balanced, but it does have more going on than just peat smoke. There’s a creamy, desserty background to it that comes out with a healthy splash of water.

If I had paid $60 or $70 for this, I would be happy and it would earn a full recommendation. For $94, I expect more, though. More age, more complexity, something more than this.

Signatory Vintage, Ardmore 2009, Vine & Table selection is mildly recommended.

Chateau de Laubade, 2000

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Maker: Chateau de Laubade, Sorbets, Landes, France.

Grapes: Baco, Ugni Blanc.

Place of origin: Bas Armagnac

Vintage: 2000 (bottled at 20 y/o).

ABV: 52.4%

Thanks to Sku of Serious Brandy and Chateau de Laubade for the sample.

Appearance: Medium dark copper.

Nose: Aromatic. Alcohol, oak, maple syrup, oatmeal raisin cookies.

Palate: Full-bodied. Sweet and fruity, then big burn. Largely the same with water, but longer mid-palate.

Finish: Dried figs, horehound. burn, star anise. Less burn with water, naturally

Parting words: This brandy was one of the highlights of the Serious Brandy Facebook Group tasting earlier this year. You can view that event here.

This one didn’t stand out as particularly unique, but it tasted like a good, solid example of a well-made (pretty) old Armagnac. It’s rich and mature without being unbalanced or weird like some very old French brandies I’ve tried. Weird isn’t always bad, of course, but as with Scotch, too much oak and oxidation can ruin my drinking experience. There’s nothing not to like here.

I was able to find a price of about $130 for a 700 ml bottle of this online. That makes it outside of my usual price range, for sure, but you’d be hard pressed to find a 20 y/o cask strength single malt for that much these days. With that in mind, Chateau Laubade 2000 cask strength is recommended.