In 1988 Andrew Symington founded “Signature Vintage Scotch Whiskey Company Ltd.” and since then has bottled exclusive casks from a large number of Scottish distilleries. His warehouse holds more than 10,000 casks – some from distilleries that no longer exist or that normally only produce whiskey for blends. Signature Vintage continues to focus on single cask bottlings of Scotch whisky. For some of these “bottlings”, two – rarely more – barrels are married together. The batches are therefore small and very limited. All bottles have precise information on the roasting and bottling dates as well as the casks.
Up to 40-year-old single malts: Treasures from the Signatory warehouse
Strong casks, bottled at cask strength – the Signature Vintage Cask Strength Collection is represented by nine bottlings. The individual casks matured in bourbon or sherry casks for at least 10 and up to 40 years and lead from the islands via Islay, the Highlands and Speyside to the Lowlands of all whiskey regions.
The name Ardlair stands for a smokeless bottling from the Ardmore distillery. The independent bottler’s Ardlair 2011/2023 matured for 11 years in a refill Oloroso Sherry Butt #900032. The single malt was distilled on January 27, 2011 and bottled on January 11, 2023. The number of bottles is limited to 597 bottles. Ardlairen belongs to the Cask Strength Collection and is therefore cask strength with a strong 62.5% vol. in bottle. The bottling is of course uncoloured and not cold-filtered in the bottle.
Aroma: Raisins, fresh apples and mango are accompanied by cloves, vanilla and pine needles.
Taste: Creamy and full on the tongue. Nutty at first, with notes of almonds. Then toasted bread with peach jam. Finally some sweet oak.
Finish: Medium length and oily. Fruity notes and some oak remain as an impression.
