Ardmore 1996

Overall rating: 86.76/100
votes: 183

Category: Single Malt
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Vintage: 1996
Bottled: 2017
Stated Age: 20 years old
Casktype: 1st Fill Bourbon Casks & Ex-Islay Casks
Strength: 49.3 % Vol.
Size: 700 ml
Bottle code: L723657A
Barcode: 5010019638496
Added on: 09 Oct 2017 7:53 pm by Astrid

Average value

€ 93,86

Found 15 online shops. Lowest price:

£ 69,95

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Whisky Reviews for Ardmore 1996

40 users have left a review for this whisky and scored it an average of 86.76 points

LDB scored this whisky 90 points
25 Sep 2018 9:37 pm
Smoke? Yes, yes, but not in your face, and firstly, the interplay with the fruitiness is superbly balanced and secondly, the alcohol is impressively well integrated, so that you only notice a slight tingle at the tip of the tongue.
Certainly, this malt is not dominated by Islay barrels, even if they are palpable.
Very nicely done!

Nose

Fruity-aromatic smoke, smoldering mossy oak log, interwoven fruit components, apricot dumplings, a little eucalyptus or tea tree oil

Taste

In the mouth completely supple-oily, I would like to go back and forth for hours, but spice: licorice on the campfire with a little pepper, despite spicy but also sweet in the direction of dark forest honey.

Finish

Significantly juicy wood and distant light ashy notes, a Katenschinkenaroma remains long on the tongue, at the same time swing again and again old oranges and lemons over the fence, and again smoked fish to taste, but the reverberation remains harmonious and still long Mundwässernd.
dRambo scored this whisky 89 points
18 Feb 2018 6:51 pm
Want a lot of time in the glass - is getting better - subtle beauty

Nose

sweet oily oak with a hint of smoke, sour, cinnamon, cracked sugar, nutmeg, licorice, mint. oily fat, give me more time in the glass - luscious vanilla

Taste

sweet with pricklendem smoke, sweetness, mint, anise, blossoms, licorice, full-bodied, nutritious, ripe and round without being weak, peppery oak - beautiful complexity - but he scores more with his cultivated intensity than with high complexity

Finish

Citrus, oily, mint, chocolate with nuts
Pollenflug scored this whisky 90 points
19 Nov 2017 10:12 pm
Conclusion and pictures on: https://tomtrinkt.de

Nose

The 20-year-old Ardmore reveals his pleasant and complex profile immediately after pouring. My first impression is dominated by sweet, bright fruits, gentle notes of wood and subtle smoke. More precise: Ripe apples, orange peel, tangerines, figs, hints of exotic fruits (peaches & far away hides a gentle connotation of honeydew melons), vanilla, fresh tobacco leaves, some leather, spicy oak notes and campfire smoke. The alcohol (49.3%) is not noticeable and perfectly integrated.

Taste

Pleasantly oily, almost creamy, the malt wets my entire oral cavity and stimulates salivation. Again, the perfectly integrated alcohol convinced. The sweet, light fruits soon start to crave for the upper edge of the taste, especially with candied candied exotic fruits, figs and tangerines are present again. After a few moments, the "heavy" notes pick up speed: fresh tobacco leaves, leather, various spices, dark chocolate and dry campfire smoke pave the way for the taste in the direction of the finish. Well balanced with an interesting aroma constellation.

Finish

Medium long, powerful and smokier. The sweet, bright fruits give a strong exclamation point at the beginning of the finish, before gradually fading. In the background, a dry, spicy-smoky conglomerate gradually builds up, which sets the tone after a few moments. Spicy oak, leather, campfire smoke and a noticeable dryness on the palate remain.
whiskycuse did not rate this whisky
03 Dec 2017 7:56 pm

Tasting Notes: Nose: It is clear from the start that this is not a trivial standard malt that is interchangeable in its aroma or to be confused with others. And even this typical modern sound of many other whiskys today seems to be missing. Jippiehh, a character drops! And that's it, shows an interesting combination of straw, pepper, malt, mint, lemon balm, yes, also some vanilla (but is the only modern!) And a wonderfully fine peat note, which is clearly present but well integrated. A complex mix of apples, pears, grapefruit and grapes will come in after a while, as well as earthy impressions and nut nougat cream.
Mouth: Powerful, clearly citrusy, again with straw, earth and well integrated smoke. Slightly salty, nutty, rather dry and slender, but intense and elegant. As in the aroma, it is also on the tongue wonderfully unfashionable, almost a little understated, balanced and yet enormously present, with a great mixture of fine smoke, fruit, earthy notes, peppery pungency and subtle vanilla sweetness.
Finish: Dry, but somewhat dull, plant-like and ashen.
Conclusion: I like Ardmore, and so I like this one so much that I have bought a whole box of it to be able to enjoy this drop in the future. Too bad that he drops something in the finish, but until then optimal! Amazingly complex nose! https://whiskycuse.wordpress.com/
schero scored this whisky 88 points
01 Dec 2017 1:04 am
Top PLV

Nose

Islay auf Halbmast, ein wunderschöner Rauch ohne brachial zu sein, Vanille, Zitrusnoten, Sternfrucht, am Ende der Mischgeruch aus Kohlrabi und Vanille, saftige Orangen hinten raus, mineralisch im zwei Schluck

Taste

Kraftvoller und mäßig rauchiger Antritt, viel Zitrusnoten mit Orange, leicht pfeffrig, kalter aschiger Rauch, leichtes Britzeln a la Ahoibrause, später etwas Vanille und dann die Eichenwürze

Finish

Süßer Rauch, Zitrusnoten und Vanille im direkten Zusammenspiel, wärmt schon lange, aber auch nicht zu lange
markjedi1 scored this whisky 86 points
31 Dec 2018 3:19 pm

Dark Edge

Ardmore is still a very important malt in the Teacher’s blend, but we are fortunate that it also appears on the market as a single malt, for Ardmore can be quite good. Take this expression, for example. Released in 2017 this malt matured on a combination of bourbon barrels and former Islay casks. I’m sure that will contribute to the peaty character of this Highlander. Is the 49.3% be cask strength, I wonder.

Beautiful sweet nose on banana, liquorice, vanilla custard, oranges, apricots and eucalyptus. I was not expecting this, to be honest. It is a tropical Ardmore. There is hardly a trace of peat, despite the PPM and maturation (partly) on former Islay casks. But is it good? Absolutely yes!

It is more sweet and sour than just sweet on the palate and the smoke also lurks around the corner. Having said that, it is again a very fruity party with summery, almost tropical notes. Grapefruit takes the lead. The alcohol is nicely integrated, by the way. A bit of oak shows some pepper and liquorice, but everything is nicely balanced. Some mint and honey keep it sweet and even offer a dark edge to it.

The finish is medium long on citrus and chocolate, nuts and soft peat smoke. And delicious.

What a brilliant Ardmore. The nose is great, the palate wonderful and the finish is simply grand. Available for 80 to 120 EUR. Recommended!
Macheye scored this whisky 88 points
28 Feb 2018 12:58 pm
Ardmore Vintage 1996 20 year old is an accomplished whisky, offering mature, well-developed fruit and smoke flavours, strong balance and a good whack of complexity to boot. Produced on their older stills (which were coal fired until 2001 – being one of the last distilleries to switch over to steam), this is a minor triumph for the distillery, and hopefully is indicative of even greater things to come. In any analysis of price vs. quality, this one is a total no-brainer. Highly recommended.

https://www.thedramble.com/tastings/ardmore/ardmore-vintage-1996-20-year-old/

Nose

Sweet fruits, subtle smoke and minerality. Pears, orange peels and toffee-coated apples are joined by dollops of rich honey for a fresh and lively opener. Peating is delicate, but ever-present - earthy, slightly ashy smoke – akin to the embers of a burnt out beach fire. Time in the glass reveals more nuances – leather, golden tobacco leaves and beeswax. There’s a vein of minerality here – stony and steely – granite, limestone and rock pools. The addition of water heightens the definition of the pears into candy pear drop sweets and adds in some dustiness – old wood, vanilla and some gentle furniture polish.

Taste

The arrival brings a full, slightly oily texture packed with malts, dusty wood and fruitiness – again with the apples, pears and orange peels. Through the mid-palate, both smoke and spice develop – campfires, smouldering soils, ginger and white pepper. Deeper, we have some milk chocolate, leather and dusty wood. Water enhances the earthiness here – soils, wet hay, a very slight touch of funky farmyard.

Finish

Medium to long and delivering both dry spice – ginger with pepper – along with ashy, almost chalky smoke.
Goethe scored this whisky 86 points
07 Dec 2017 9:00 pm
A very interesting Ardmore, quite complex due to the cask combination, after all not as well intermeshed as I'd expected. The smoke is quite bumpy coming along with the Ardmore and the light fruits. The finish though is quite delicious.Concerning price/performance ratio: 7/10

Nose

First there are some hints of Laphroaig notes (they start vanishing after a few minutes in the glass), apples, smoke, vanilla, caramel, barley, some yellow fruits and tropical fruits.

Taste

Smoke, minerals, salt, fruits (apples, pears, oranges, lemon), ginger, some nuts, some leather, oak.

Finish

Medium. Smoke, yellow fruits, hints of minerals, leather, some tobacco.
Achany scored this whisky 89 points
14 Nov 2017 3:15 pm
gentle peat at first, bacon, cold ashes, smoke. some heather sweetness suddenly, some vanilla, spices kick in, some pepper, the sweet and peat mingle perfectly. a really well balanced malt. massive peat but really gentle. not overwhelming and brutal like Islay ... just a wonderful dram. 20 yo, peated and this price - just a bargain!

Nose

88 88

Taste

90 90

Finish

90 90
spigray scored this whisky 89 points
23 Oct 2017 6:50 pm
a very nice dram if you like the old school profile.
nothing for fruit fetishists.
89/100

Nose

old school profile with light smoke, shoe polish, very mild oak. fat and oily. leather, tobacco, damp earth. whiffs of peaches and tangerines but you have to wait for a while until these come through.

Taste

a rather fresh palate, starting on the fruits and it takes a while until the smoke, the leather, the shoe polish and the tobacco arrive. not as fat as I would have expected.
add a good bit of dark chocolate, hints of barber´s grease.

Finish

good length but not really long.

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