The last few weeks saw quite a few new whisky releases, and one from Ardmore (who now calls itself “The Ardmore”) is not something you see everyday. The new “Legacy” is replacing the old “traditional cask” which was also a NAS, but for some reason drops the ABV to 40% and maybe to make it more accessible also drops the peated malt content (20% unpeated and 80% peated malt contents), making it “lightly” peated. I was quite a fan of the Traditional cask, offering a solid profile for a relatively good price, and was quite intrigued by this new malt. Will it deliver the same (or better) quality and BFYB ratio as it predecessor, will the light peated profile work? Let’s find our.
The Ardmore Legacy , 40% abv, £29.99
Nose: really yeasty with a lovely freshly baked bread, some cereals too, with a puff of smoke underneath, very mild, and much more restrained than the “traditional cask”. a bit of oak. it feels youngish, but attractive as such.
Palate: A nice gentle peaty feeling to it , with smoke and a bit of ash, with enough sweet dough and cereal notes to ease you in. definitely aimed at newbies, who are making their first steps into peat land. some vanilla sweetness and even a coconut element, with a bit of a bite , in the form of pepper. some young fruity elements too (apple and pear drops) and a final touch of marzipan.
Finish: smoke, marzipan and wood.
Conclusion:
This is very surprising, but i find that the lower peat profile really works here, it’s a very accessible and easy to drink malt, that can be the perfect daily dram for the right price. 30 quid is not a lot for a whisky these days (even if it’s a NAS), and for me the quality is more or less the same as the Traditional Cask, even if it’s a bit different. Creamy and lovely, this one is a definitely a malt you should consider for your whisky shelf. Nothing mind-blowing, but it’s just a good fun dram. It can also be a nice introduction to peated malts for newbies, good Bang for your buck ration too. A no brainer really.
Score: 83/100
Official sample provided by The Ardmore