Ardmore – 10 Year Old 2013 Hidden Spirits 10th Anniversary (70cl, 53.2%)

This is a 10-year-old single cask Ardmore, distilled in 2013 and bottled in 2023 for the tenth anniversary of the Italian independent bottler Hidden Spirits. Andrea Ferrari made the selection. It is bottled at 53.2% without dilution, with natural colour and no chill-filtration. The peat is of the Highland kind, giving earthy bonfire smoke rather than medicinal or iodine notes. The nose has vanilla, beeswax, crisp barley malt and candied lemon. The palate brings bonfire ash, white pepper and baked apple, and the finish is long and dry, with warm spice and liquorice.