🥃 Ardmore Port Wood Finish
12-year Ardmore line at 46% ABV: bourbon barrels, then half pipes from port wine; not chill filtered.
Ardmore Port Wood Finish is a 12-year-old single malt from the Ardmore distillery, bottled at 46% ABV. It has a two-stage maturation: first the whisky rests in bourbon barrels, then it is finished in European half pipes that once held port. Whisky For Everyone notes that this bottling brought the brand's range up to four expressions.
According to the official website, the whisky matures twice: in American white oak bourbon barrels and in European half pipes from port. The age is 12 years and the whisky is not chill filtered. The base is the same peated Ardmore malt used in the other bottlings, so the port casks add fruity notes to the smoky profile.
Why this matters to you. Port Wood Finish suits people who already know the base Legacy and want a richer taste. It is stronger (46% against 40%) and carries a stated age, which Legacy does not. Read the label: the word Finish refers to the final maturation, not to port being added. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Year founded | Ardmore distillery founded 1898 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890): Single Malt Scotch Whisky |
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | peated barley malt |
| Cask type | American white oak (bourbon barrels), then European half pipes from port |
| Minimum maturation | 12 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 46% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Ardmore Port Wood Finish → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🍷 Port, 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Peated whisky, 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Ardmore, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Ardmore Legacy, 🥃 Ardmore Legacy
Frequently asked questions
Is port wine added to Port Wood Finish?
No. Port is not poured into the whisky; it only matures in casks that previously held port.
How old is Ardmore Port Wood Finish?
12 years, according to the official website and the Whisky For Everyone review.
What is its strength?
46% ABV, not chill filtered.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Peated whisky — Whisky with a smoky aroma from malt dried over a peat fire; it is a style, not a separate legal category.
- 🥃 Ardmore Legacy — Core single malt from the Ardmore distillery: 40% ABV, no age statement, a blend of peated and unpeated malt.
Similar
🥃 Ardmore Legacy · 🥃 Scapa Glansa · 🥃 Kilchoman Machir Bay · 🥃 Kilchoman Sanaig · 🥃 Scapa Skiren · 🥃 Glen Grant 18 Year Old
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Ardmore: official site (range: Legacy 40 %, Tradition 46 %, Port Wood Finish 46 %, Triple Wood 46 %; Port Wood Finish: 12 years, American white oak bourbon barrels and European half port pipes, non-chill filtered)
- Whisky For Everyone: Review of Ardmore Port Wood Finish (46 %, non-chill-filtered, 12 years, ex-bourbon casks and ex-port half pipes; completes the range with Legacy, Tradition and Triple Wood)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: Scotch Whisky and Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)