21 Drams is a Belgian collective of 21 whisky lovers. They are based in the area around the Sonian Forest, the biggest green lung in our country. In Dutch, the name of the forest sounds a bit like Zionwood, hence the name.
At the end of 2014, they decided to bottle their own whisky, from a selection made by The Whiskyman. A single cask Ardmore 2000.
Some of the 21 Drams members are running a web building company called Wieni, and they decided to take 40 more bottles from the casks as a gift for their clients. They’ve labeled it Wiensky.
Ardmore Zionwood 14 yo 2000 (53,3%, The Whiskyman for 21 Drams 2014, 25 btl.)
Ardmore Zionwood 14 yo 2000 (53,3%, The Whiskyman for 21 Drams 2014, 25 btl.)Nose: not as peaty as some other Ardmore. It’s mostly ashy, close to Caol Ila in that respect, especially when you add the fresh lemony notes. Some rounder notes: honey, a little candy sugar. Earthy notes, as well as some very subtle medicinal touches. Not too complex but nicely balanced.
Mouth: fairly dry, earthy peat with a fierce peppery kick at first. Soot, grassy notes and some bitter grapefruit skin before it settles down and becomes much sweeter. Honey, citrus sweets and vanilla.
Finish: medium long, peppery and zesty, with the earthy, peaty notes underneath and a hint of agave.
A nice Ardmore that’s better balanced than similar expressions that I’ve tried before. Around € 90, only available to club members if I’m not mistaken. They’re hoping to present wider (public) releases in the future. Thanks, Ike.
Score: 85/100