Ardmore 'Signatory' 100 Proof 12 years old 57.1%

Selected from a small batch of casks laid down in 2012 at the Ardmore distillery, this new release from Signatory was matured in a unique type of cask - 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrels that were sourced from an undisclosed distillery on Islay (codenamed LA, suggesting Laphroaig). The nose opens with an industrial smokyness, evoking old workshops and savoury smoke. There is a touch of old hessian sacks and then a sweet barley tone that shifts to creamy and vanilla'd.