A good single cask can tell you plenty about a distillery. This 17-year-old Ardmore also tells a story about Manchester, collaboration and what a small whisky release can do for a good cause. I helped bring Cottonopolis to life, so I cannot pretend to be a detached observer. But I can explain why the project matters to me and why, even without that personal connection, I think the whisky deserves attention.
It began with Tom, who runs Manchester-based independent bottler Dram Fine Drinks. He wanted to release a whisky that would raise money for a Manchester cancer charity. Tom selected the cask, while Sam, a local tattoo artist, designed a label whose figures recall the paintings of L. S. Lowry.
I contributed tasting notes, helped spread the word and joined them in sealing bottles. The name Cottonopolis nods to Manchester’s industrial history. Only 88 bottles were produced, priced at £95 each, with at least £10 from each bottle going to charity.
The whisky itself is a 17-year-old Ardmore matured solely in an ex-bourbon barrel and bottled at 51.5% ABV. Ardmore has become one of those distilleries that instantly catches my eye, particularly when age has softened its peat without erasing its character. On the nose, this has baked apple, buttery pastry, caramel and poached pear. Behind that sweetness sits a gentler thread of burnt grass, charcoal and barbecue smoke. There is plenty going on, but nothing feels crowded.
On the palate, its texture is the real pleasure: oily, chewy and warming, with a slightly salty edge. The apple and pastry return, followed by balanced oak and a more earthy, farmyard side to the smoke. The long finish turns mineral and savoury before moving towards tobacco, cinnamon and a little dark chocolate sweetness. It does everything I want an older, gently peated Ardmore to do while offering a remarkable amount of fruit. I would give it a solid nine out of ten.
I am proud of what Tom and Sam made possible here, and I hope this first release leads to another. Charity gives Cottonopolis its purpose, but the whisky stands on its own merits. Which distillery that deserves more attention has won you over recently?
For a closer look at Cottonopolis and a more detailed tasting, check out my YouTube video.
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