A Sweet Strawberry
My 60th Scottish distillery: Glencadam.
And what better way to get my first taste of this distillery by by skipping the entry level whisky and taking it one step further.
This is a review of the 15yo whisky, first released back in 2005 and described by Jim McEwan as the next best thing to Bruichladdich (dixit whiskyfun).
The Whisky
http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-9408.aspx
Colour: straw (as unchillfiltered and no colour was added: bold move for an OB), with nice long legs
Nose: Soft and fruity on the nose, with notes of citrus, fresh wood shavings, some vanilla, with complex aromas of raspberries & strawberries. Underlying layers with a soft touch of iodine, some flour, apples and a whiff of roasted chestnuts
(with water added: empowered strawberry aromas)
Mouth: Dry in the mouth, not that much on the palate, some Eucalyptus and citrus. The initial sensation is underwhelming. And then comes the burst of flavour: very fresh and very fruity with more strawberries, a touch of cinnamon, tones of fresh cut grass, and bitter cherry
(with water added: vanilla flavoured layers reveal themselves and become more distinct, unfortunately)
Finish: the real beauty lies within in the tail: long and zesty, a little bit bitter and dry. With formidable notes of lemon balm with a hint of thyme and most importantly strawberries!!!!!. Even tough its bitter and dry, it is still quite fresh.
The Verdict
Another great whisky, makes me want to try some more Glencadam expressions .
One important remark here: drink this whisky neat. The nose might see some improvement, as it is far to soft when freshly poured from the bottle. (not sure how it will develop over time...).
One important remark here: drink this whisky neat. The nose might see some improvement, as it is far to soft when freshly poured from the bottle. (not sure how it will develop over time...).
No my main argument to keep you from making the mistake of dropping a dash of water in your dram is, that it ruins the palate by empowering the vanilla notes.
Overall a great versatile whisky: complex and refined with some notes of strawberry. I've only once encountered a similar profile before, with an independent bottling of Old Pulteney (though the flavours were far more prominent there with a much more interesting transformation process).
Overall a great versatile whisky: complex and refined with some notes of strawberry. I've only once encountered a similar profile before, with an independent bottling of Old Pulteney (though the flavours were far more prominent there with a much more interesting transformation process).
Not sure where these strawberry esters do come from, but their origins are closely linked to the amount of water that's being added, allowing for tight layers of the whisky to be broke up.
Single malts with a unique and distinct fruity profile are my kind of whisky and I do so enjoy original whiskies: high points all around!
You can keep your vanilla flavoured miscarriages or light citrussy whiskies, I'm rolling with the fruity, sherried or peated crowd.
Single malts with a unique and distinct fruity profile are my kind of whisky and I do so enjoy original whiskies: high points all around!
You can keep your vanilla flavoured miscarriages or light citrussy whiskies, I'm rolling with the fruity, sherried or peated crowd.
