[youtube height=”720″ width=”1280″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln2idLNFpvQ&index=3&list=PL36O7QkNnc2MzmBPqoF80uezxARJRVgaJ[/youtube]

Rating

Price:

Circa £30

In a Nutshell:

Its light colour could suggest  a younger whisky (there’s no age statement and I wouldn’t want to hazard a guess). Overall I’d say it is good drink, but somewhat one dimensional.

As an introduction to peated whiskies this could be great – I’d say that £30 it’s very good value – maybe as an alternative/competitor to Laphroaig 10?

Also, they claim that it’s ‘lightly peated’ but I’d argue against the existence of such a flavour profile. There is only varying degrees of ‘lots of peat’ because that is a taste is so powerful and distinctive that it makes itself known in ANY quantity. :v

An Ardmore ‘ardon

The Legacy is a new core expression from the Ardmore Distillery, which lives in the village of Kennethmont – circa 45 minutes drive west from Aberdeen. Apparently Ardmore are the only highland distillery to produce (on the main part) peated whiskies, and this one is no exception.

It’s a lightly peated number that combines their traditional peated mix, along with an unpeated one they produce in lesser quantities, and that they call Ardlair. The eagle is a recurring theme on their branding, as it is said that a family of eagles looks over/after the distillery (it all sounds kinda Viking).

I swear I saw this in LIDL a few weeks ago (LIDL usually stick with their own brands). As far as prices go, it’s one of Ardmore’s entry level expressions (lighter in colour and supposedly lighter in peat). If what I hear is true, we should look out for lots of new stuff coming out of the distillery in the near future.

We Drink It, Stuff Happens

Nose:

Peat first – menthol – you’ve got to wait a bit before you can get at what’s hiding underneath it. Then you get perhaps toasted brown bread, and something that’s more buttery than creamy (it is hard to say what exactly with the peat there). Plus a little honey or something sweet.

Palette:

It’s a little sharp at first, up the nose it goes! Gradually the peat (which at this point is a little like white pepper) gives way to some vanilla, a little honey (the two things you might expect from Speyside whiskies), plus a malty, slight nuttiness – though these flavours do fight to be discovered amongst the peat.  

It is slightly sweeter than you may expect from the nose. Unfortunately that certain creaminess/richness/butteryness you get on the nose sadly does not translate onto the palette. I suppose it’s medium to light bodied instead.

There’s also  that dryness that Ardmore are supposedly known for and some spice too – which combines with said dryness in a flavour that reminds me of cumin.  

Finish:

Far, far longer than expected and again, rather dry. The white pepper and vanilla flavours sit on your tongue for quite some time – though this is what usually happens with peat. You finish before it does, but it’s not so morish that you’re compelled to down another one in a hurry.

Verdict

I tried this one for my first time at a friend’s place and recoiled a little – I remember it feeling thin and acerbic, but I don’t think I was ready at the time. Coming back to it sober, and with a neutral palette,  I revise my opinion…

So yes, I have yet to find a peated whisky I didn’t like and this one is no exception – though I also have yet to find a cheaper peated whisky that I could describe as uh… subtle!

The Legacy is neither complex, nor easy drinking but it is good. Not sure if there’ll be enough complexity for super diehard peat people, though I don’t think it’d be something most of them would turn their noses up at. It’s definitely growing on me, it seems to get better every time I have it.At this rate I’ll be very fond of it just before I run out and will probably have to buy another…

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