Cardhu No Age Statement Special Cask Reserve 40%
Batch C3/c R.12.14/ Tasted: Mar 2014
A very woody nose of coffee’d sherry with hints of earth, rich cherry and apricot. Although it’s hard to see through the wood.
Rather rough and edgy green sherry wood. There’s some malty fruit and a touch of cream coffee but like the nose it’s pretty much all sherry. Good length. Thankfully it smooth out towards the finish after the rough start.
Cardhu Amber Rock 40%
Tasted: Mar 2014
The nose is a little shy to begin with but quite tight and lithe. Tart lemon notes mingle with lightly perfumed white fruit, whilst a little oak lingers in the background. With time hints of salt and bog myrtle-like herbs appear.
The palate is quite oily with a fair amount of flattening burnt caramel. Definitely not as complex as the nose. A little on the sweet and flabby side with a late hint of barley. Now the citrus arrives to freshen and it finishes with a chalky minerality. In conclusion: Shame about the palate as the nose showed quite a bit of promise.
Cardhu Amber Rock 40%
Re-Tasted: Dec 2015
Full and a little homogenous but, dense and barley’d on the nose with hints if honey, dried fruit and toffee’d oak.
The palate is full and honeyed with toasted oak, caramel and toffee. Too caramelled and those notes display a slightly bitter, burnt character which may indicate the use of E150? Reasonable length with a light spice note. In conclusion: Simple and caramel flattened.
Cardhu 12 year old 40%
Tasted: Sept 2010
Jim Murray says that this malt has “The cleanest, uncluttered nose that you will ever find” and I can’t argue with that. It’s pleasantly balanced with a slight oliness, hints of toffee and burnt caramel, offset by its sweetness and a slight grassy note.
The palate is quite full. A pleasant, uncomplicated marriage of soft, butter-toffee oak and citrus fruit. Quite oily with a not unpleasant alcohol nip and a slight peppery finish. Pleasant if a bit unexciting. I imagine that this is the sort of spirit that blenders would die for.
Cardhu 12 year old 40%
Re-Tasted: Dec 2013
Dense barley and sweet apricot mingles with oily marzipan and almond notes on the nose. Lightly earthy with a whiff of peat and herbs. With time hints of perfumed coconut and vanilla appear.
The palate is soft if a little watery with coffee, malt and straw. Less perfumed than the nose with the caramels dampening. A tart citrus and mineral finish. In conclusion: Heavy on the oak or caramel, which flattens the palate.
Cardhu 18 year old 40%
Tasted: Feb 2016
Oily, cognac-esque aromas with dried apricot and gentle herbal notes. Slightly honeyed and chocolaty with raisin and the herbal notes becoming quite rye-like.
The palate is earthy, with some almost imperceptible dusty peat. Lightly floral with barley, violets and a good depth of oxidised apricot fruit and nutty oak. Good length with a mature barley finish.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 