Created in 2011, ARTIST by La Maison du Whisky is LMDW’s flagship series dedicated to remarkable single casks selected for their expressive, terroir-driven character, paired with contemporary artworks chosen to mirror or contrast the whisky’s identity. Over the years, ARTIST has evolved into a true gallery in bottle form: an annual expression of style, ageing, culture and aesthetics.
ARTIST #15, the fifteenth edition of this emblematic range and released under the Itinéraires catalogue, is divided into two thematic chapters: Something in the Water, inspired by the magic of Islay and paying tribute to the island’s historic distilleries; and The Dark Side of the Moon, which explores the world of sherry cask maturation from Oloroso to Pedro Ximénez.
This Ardmore 2009 Aged 15 Years is the only peated whisky in The Dark Side of the Moon chapter, fully matured in sherry casks, placing Ardmore (often overlooked, always fascinating) squarely in the spotlight. Highly expressive, the whisky reveals a peat profile that gradually softens into malty, spicy and chocolatey nuances, aligning beautifully with the warmth and depth central to the ARTIST #15 theme.
Ardmore itself is an intriguing distillery. Situated on the border between Speyside and the eastern Highlands, it was founded in 1898, just a year before the Pattison crash. Its spirit often displays a coastal, lightly rugged character more commonly associated with island malts. Adding a note of historical curiosity, an earlier distillery named Ardmore operated on Islay between 1817 and 1835, later absorbed by Lagavulin, a heritage that resonates subtly in Ardmore’s identity today.
Equipped since 1974 with four wash stills and four spirit stills, Ardmore famously maintained direct coal firing under its stills until the early 2000s. Acquired in 2005 by the Suntory Global Spirits group, the distillery also produces a second unpeated single malt, Ardlair, distilled seasonally and primarily intended for blending.
Deeply characterful and shaped by sherry-rich maturation, this single cask showcases Ardmore at its most expressive: smoky yet refined, structured yet generous, and perfectly aligned with the atmospheric intensity of The Dark Side of the Moon.
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