Berry Bros & Rudd ‘Berrys Own Selection’ Glencadam 1990 (21 year old) 56.6%
Bourbon Cask 5982/ Dist: 1990 Btl: 2011/ Tasted: Mar 2012
Quite a woody, maturing nose of perfumed orange. Slightly balsamic but quite spirity and alcoholic. There’s a touch of creamy oak along with some stewed apple and mint.
The palate opens with the creamy/lactose oak followed by buttered fruit, orange and gentle spices. Like the nose it is quite woody with some mouth puckering alcohol on the middle. The oak returns on the finish. Personally I think this would have been better bottled about 5 years ago as the oak has gone over the top.
A drop of water really opens the nose. Some orange fruit emerges with pollen like honey as the oak retreats. More spirit character now with some lovely granulated sugar moments along with toffee-apple and cinnamon. The palate has become a tad watery, but the oak is still in charge. Like on the nose there are some gently sugary bits and the spirit tries to battle against the oak with a hint of orange blossom but it’s destined to loose that.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 