A cask of heavily peated Ardross Single Malt, the last cask distilled in 2022. This cask and spirit type are not currently available for private sale.

Cask Number: 2838
Cask Type : 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt
Spirit Type: Ardross Single Malt Heavy Peated - 65ppm
Filling Date: 9th December 2022
Filling Strength: 63.5% abv

Selected by Chairman and Master Blender Andrew Rankin, this Oloroso from a superlative Jerez bodega will provide the best sherry and wood quality for maturing Scotch Whisky. Due to its size (500L), a Sherry Butt does not mature in the same way as a barrel, and it is Andrew Rankin’s advice that it takes at least 12 years before its full potential is evident.

The Ardross Distillery has extremely long fermentation times (130+ hours). While a 65ppm peat level would be expected to give a heavily peated spirit, the length of the fermentation process - together with Master Distiller Sandy Jamieson’s experience at choosing the optimal cut points - have helped yielding the perfect combination between the ‘classic Ardross style’ (i.e. complex and subtle) and the powerful flavours of high-quality peat.

In a remote location, deep in the Northern Scottish Highlands, The Ardross Distillery rises from the ruins of a 19th Century farmstead and carves an impressive silhouette on an ancient landscape.

OUR LAND
Scotch Whisky Distilling is about the coming together of pure ingredients while encapsulating the character of the place in which it is made. Ardross is a place rooted in history, known for its unyielding people – Pict kings and rioters. Blessed with the light and the pure water of the Distillery-owned Loch Dubh, many centuries of farming and experience give rise to the distinct taste and character of our whisky. Ardross’s Land is tradition, experience, and a hint of irreverence.

OUR VISION
“When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for...” John Ruskin

From the careful regeneration of the Ardross old structures to our 25 year maturation strategy involving bespoke cask size, cask type and wood diversity, everything we do at Ardross is conditioned by our long-term horizon and an uncompromising stance on quality.

OUR PEOPLE
People are the single most important facet of the Ardross project. The Distillery is built around a small team; yet their combined years of industry experience reaches into the hundreds of years. Together, they work in service of our shared vision and a mutual desire to create a lasting legacy.

OUR PROCESS
Ardross embodies a harmonious relationship between ingredients, processes and expert intuition. We leave very little to chance as we pursue the extraordinary.

WATER
The distillery site was chosen in part due to the the remarkable body of water that lies just behind the distillery; Loch Dubh, from which waters are drawn for the entire whisky making process.

YEAT
Unusually long fermentations using proprietary yeast take place over 130 hours – double the industry standard - in Douglas Fir washbacks, with the aim of achieving vibrant fruit notes and a rounded

BARLEY
We work with leading maltsters, selecting only Scottish Barley, that is malted to our precise specifications. Whilst the signature Ardross profile will be unpeated, we have produced spirit from peated malt, giving us flexibility and variety in the future.

COPPER
Our spectacular still house is home to a pair of tall, elegant copperstills. Both our wash and spirit stills have reflux balls. The unusual presence of this on a wash still contributes to our unique spirit style; a rare union of lightness and complexity in line with Andrew Rankin’s vision for a sweet, fruity spirit character of the highest quality.

WOOD
Our spirit is filled into the very finest wood sourced from The USA, Spain and Japan. With relationships going back three decades, we are confident that each and every cask selected for maturing the Ardross Spirit is amongst the finest examples of its kind. Early samples show us that something truly special is emerging