Integrity Malts Ardmore 10yo

The Maker

Integrity Malts was founded in Sheffield in 2024 by two whisky friends. There is not a great deal written about the company online, so from what I can establish their journey from whisky fans to independent bottlers was not unlike several other start-ups of the post-Covid whisky boom in terms of seeking out the best available casks and taking the plunge into whisky retailing in the hope it all works out.

The name is a commitment to 'integrity releases' which have become the standard of the online whisky community. This integrity is based around four pillars designed to instil confidence in quality, and faithfully maintain distillery characteristics. These are a clear age statement; delivered at 46% or more; without chill-filtration; and in its natural colour. These are not unusual commitments among independent bottlers, but some do let them slide on occasion. Integrity Malts it seems, will not.

What is perhaps most interesting about Integrity Malts' business model is how they have embraced the Still in Cask website run by some of the boffins behind Circumstance Distillery in Bristol. This site allows the public to buy cask shares during maturation without the VAT and Duty. In the UK this is normally around half the final retail price. Then, once the cask is bottled, those taxes are paid and the bottle is dispatched. Think of it as buying a cask in bond between 200 or so people.

Selling whisky this way offers benefits to both the seller and the drinker. For Integrity Malts it means that they get some cashflow before maturation is complete. This is a big gain for them as whisky maturation takes a long time to turn a profit, so they can get some money back now, rather than wait until the end of the process. From the perspective of the drinker (i.e. me!), there is the ability to access some interesting stuff from unknown producers at a noticeable discount. It also enables me to split the cost as I pay the retailer's share now, and then pay the taxman in several years time based on the untaxed price. When you think about how prices change over several years I am in effect locking in bottles of whisky due in 2029 or 2030 for as little as £35 ($46USD) including taxes in some cases.

There is naturally a risk here that all involved go under in the meantime, but given the scale of the operation it seems worth it. This expression is the first bottle I have had out of the system, but I have several more due over the coming years from Integrity Malts and others. Several friends have taken the leap also, and so far we have not had a dud among them.

The Expression

Ardmore is an underappreciated scotch in many circles. It was founded in 1898 to supplement Teacher's Highland Cream blend - a role which it has to this day, as part of the Suntory empire alongside the likes of Laphroaig, Glen Garioch, Bowmore, and Auchentoshan.

Of these five Suntory distilleries Ardmore seems the least loved by the whisky community, despite some interesting independent releases over the years. I suspect that this is down to the limited core range, which for the most part, is supermarket fodder with little transparency or integrity. As I have previously written, a supermarket whisky is not inherently a bad thing, it just struggles to compete with the kind of malts readers of this review are likely to be drinking out of choice.

Yet despite this I think it is worth sharing a positive story about Ardmore Legacy - the heart of the core range. For many years I have been hosting Burns' Night dinners and there was one night - almost a decade ago - where the Legacy was judged the favourite among the half dozen or so tasted - many of them being more interesting and of higher quality on paper. None of us knew as much about whisky as we do now, but perhaps it shows that this type of whisky can be gateway to a wider world.

This specific bottle from Integrity Malts is an interesting one. It was distilled on 8th June 2015 and spent a little over nine years in an ex-bourbon hogshead. Then on 30th September 2024 it was re-racked into a former Laphroaig cask for an additional 13 months before being bottled in October 2025 - making it 10 year old. In line with company principles the whisky is its natural colour and has not been chill-filtered. It came at a cask strength of 56.1%.

In total there were 152 bottles released according to the label, but only 49 bottles were made available on the Still in Cask website for a total price of £62 ($83USD) each. A few weeks after it arrived I saw it for sale through a major UK based online retailer for around £70 ($93USD) - which suggests that savings can be had through Still in Cask. Integrity Malts also released a version that was re-racked into a PX cask instead. A friend got that version and having done a side-by-side comparison most of my whisky club slightly preferred the PX.

The Neck Pour

There is a clear, peaty ex-bourbon nose. Lots of vanilla and barley sugar. It is simple, but effective and clearly in the Ardmore style. Then comes the medicinal peat smoke associated with a south coast Islay. It is light and subtle, as you would expect from a finish, but unmistakable.

This softness continues onto the palate. There is a pepperiness that edges towards something spicier like nutmeg. Sea salt then comes through on the finish with a gentle peat and caramel. This is a pleasant easy drinking malt.

The Body

There is a notable shift towards sweetness on the nose after three months open. Now the lead is barley sugar and a touch of varnish. All the standard ex-bourbon notes remain, but that medicinal peat (I always think pink first-aid plasters) is much more present that it was upon opening.

This change is also delivered on the palate. I am now getting a lot more white chocolate and icing sugar to join the nutmeg. Behind this there is a deeper salty brine coming thought which works well with the peat. The peat is still light, but comes with a sharp citrus kick on the finish. Citrus is a common note I get with Ardmore so it is good to see it come through here.

Final Thoughts

As often happens with ex-Laphroaig cask finishes the slightly more astringent medicinal notes have built overtime. This results in more Laphroaig and less Ardmore as the bottle goes on. This is not a bad thing (depending on your preferences), but does make for an interesting development throughout the bottle.

Coming to the end the sweetness is still there but is now more balanced with citrus. As a result there is less of a white chocolate and more of a torched lemon meringue pie. The salty brine is then still there on the finish.

I often consider a lot of development to be a sign of a well put together whisky, and I think that holds true here. This is an impressive first showing from Integrity Malts and, by extension, Still in Cask. I look forward to more arriving from both in the coming years.