That Boutique-y Whisky Company Glencadam Tasting Notes

That Boutique-y Whisky Company Glencadam Batch 1 (6 year old) 47.5%

Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Nov 2018

Lovely aromas of estery apricot, banana, melon and hints of lime, vanilla and greengage. Develops a refreshing mineral freshness with time.

The palate shows a little more oak and barley with subtler, almost tropical apricot, melon and lime. Hints of earth and a lovely mineral middle. Long and mineral with a touch of bubblegummy white fruit and apricot. In conclusion: Good full bodied Highland. A little confected on the finish but still very impressive.

House of Macduff Glencadam Tasting Notes

House of Macduff ‘Golden Cask – Reserve’ Glencadam 2011 (10 year old) 63.6%

Bourbon Barrel/ Ref: CM282/ Dist: Sept 2011 Btl: Oct 2021/ Tasted: Mar 2022

A lovely nose of estery apple, apricot, pineapple, pear and peach. Damn, it’s a veritable fruit salad of a nose! Hints of barley, citrus, vanilla and soft spice. The alcohol nips, but considering its abv, its well contained.

The palate is soft, juicy and fruity. Again very estery with pineapple, apple, barley and grippier oak. The noticeable alcohol masks the finish but it finishes with pear drops and pineapple chunks.

Diluted the nose is still wonderfully fruity. A little less complex perhaps with a touch more wood spice. The palate is also a little less complex, but softer and fuller. Subtle dried fruit notes have appeared now. Long, very spicy, gritty and vanilla’d finish.

Carn Mor Glencadam Tasting Notes

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Glencadam 2011 (6 year old) 46%

Bourbon Barrel/ Dist: 2011 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017

A full and densely fruity nose with white peach, apple, apricot, pineapple, tangerine and a touch of new world Sauvignon Blanc. With time an almost hoppy cereal note appears along with some gentle toasty oak. A lovely, exuberant and invigorating nose.

The palate shows a touch more toasty oak but there’s still plenty of white fruit and Sauvignon Blanc-esque notes. Fills out well on the middle as the barley and oak come through. Subtly spiced and citric finish with lingering sweet fruit, barley and citrus. Very enjoyable.

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Glencadam 2011 (7 year old) 46%

Bourbon Barrel/ Dist: 2011 Btl: 2019/ Tasted: Apr 2019

A young, gristy and exuberantly fruity nose with Viogner-esque bubblegummy white fruit, barley and subtle oak. Hints of grass, gooseberry and lime follow. With time the oak comes through and counter balances the fruit.

The palate is a touch more citric and mineral, which makes it feel fresher, but it still shows plenty of fleshy white fruit, peach, apricot and slightly straw-like barley. Good oak grip on the middle and a long, juicy, lime and gooseberry finish with a slight chalky after-taste and lingering fleshy fruit.

Edition Spirits Glencadam Tasting Notes

Edition Spirits ‘The First Editions’ Glencadam 1996 (19 year old) 52%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: EDI0186/ HL12785

Dist: Nov 1996 Btl: 2016/ Tasted: Oct 2016

Full and vanilla’d aromas, but also a little gristy with grass, straw and ripe, slightly baked fruit. A good dollop of malt comes through with time as does some hints of gooseberry and greengage.

The palate mirrors the nose, in that it’s full and vanilla’d with plenty sugar coated fleshy fruit, straw and malt. Hints of dark chocolate and baked fruit on the middle. Long a lovely intensity of malt and dark chocolate, plus a touch of bitter almond.

Hunter Laing Glencadam Tasting Notes

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Glencadam 1998 (14 year old) 50%

Sherry/ Code: OMC2255/ Dist: Dec 1998 Btl: Apr 2013/ Tasted: May 2013

Lightly floral aromas with some straw like barley and hints of earthy refill-sherry spices. However the rather pungent alcohol is masking the nose.

The palate opens with some lightly buttered oak and very subtle sherry notes along with sweet barley and earthy apricot. Pleasantly spicy on the middle but the finish is a little hot and spirity but the sweet barley note lingers.

I don’t normally add water to 50% bottlings but as it was very prevalent I thought I might see what happened. The nose became a lot lighter and Spey like with a touch of grass and pepper. The palate on the other hand became very oak dominated – buttery caramel and toffee. Still pleasantly spicy but rather short now.

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Glencadam 1995 (18 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2356/ HL4581

Dist: Nov 1995 Btl: Feb 2014/ Tasted: Mar 2014

A beautifully moist nose of satsuma and orange along with hints of sweet honey and nippy, peppery spices. The oak is both sawdusty and slightly buttery and fills out but not overwhelms the nose.

The palate has loads of sweet toffee, that real, candied, creamy Werthers Original style toffee. So, unfortunately the palate doesn’t quite have the balance that the nose suggests and all that oak overpowers the citrus notes. They do eventually struggle through on the finish, but its oak city!

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Glencadam 1996 (19 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2585/ HL12775

Dist: Nov 1996 Btl: Aug 2016/ Tasted: Sept 2016

Damp straw-like and old balsamic aromas punctuated by hints of gooseberry, apricot and pepper. Slightly industrial and a little hard going.

The palate opens with some milky oak, thus making it softer than you would have expected from the nose. Still slightly industrial with hard barley and an echo of juicy, sub-tropical fruit. Short-ish with noticeable alcohol and hints of straw and vanilla.

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Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Glencadam 2004 (10 year old) 46%

Bourbon/ Code: HEP0023/ Dist: May 2004 Btl: May 2014/ Tasted: June 2014

A high toned and youthful nose of grass, pineapple chunks and barley. Some sweet, duty and perfumed barley emerges along with some toasted caramel.

The palate displays more caramel which does dampen to be honest. There are hints of apricot, Satsuma and grass. A little short with a touch of sweet barley in the finish. Not quiet as exuberant as the nose.

Douglas Laing Glencadam Tasting Notes

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glencadam 2004 (15 year old) 48.4%

Refill Bourbon Barrel/ Code: OLD0807/ DL13538

Dist: Jul 2004 Btl: Aug 2019/ Tasted: Nov 2019

Tart, green and citric on the nose with dusty barley and dusty oak. Subtle white fruit, apple, apricot and creamy vanilla appear. Although the citrus notes are intense it has a good balance.

The palate opens with creamy, vanilla oak, barley and more estery fruit – apricot, banana, pineapple and melon. A touch more oak and a little less citrus means the palate feels more typical. White fruit, lime, and white liquorice come through on the finish along with a touch of oily vanilla and barley. Lovely progression.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Glencadam 1998 (18 year old) 48.4%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0391/ DL11474

Dist: May 1998 Btl: Nov 2016/ Tasted: Jan 2017

Aromas of clotted cream, violets, heather and mountains of deliciously creamy oak and barley. Hints gooseberry and lime adds a freshness and allows a little tropical fruit to emerge. That’s a seriously gorgeous nose.

The palate is full and vanilla’d with an exuberant depth of tropical fruit, barley and sweet oak. Very deep with developing citrus and barley notes. Good, lightly oiled finish. Maybe not hugely complex but it’s a delightful dram nevertheless.

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Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glencadam 1990 (21 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2156/ DL8167

Dist: Oct 1990 Btl: Feb 2012/ Tasted: Apr 2012

Slightly spirity and tightly wound with some alcoholic orange. Slightly waxy with hints of cinnamon and turmeric. With time the nose does eventually settle down and become more perfumed. Slightly creamy, mature oak with hints of thyme and mint.

The palate opens with some gentle orange fruit, spice and grippy oak. It feels very old (a bit cardboardy) with some dried grapefruit juice, pear and light, old barley. Good length but the oak really bites and I feel that this cask’s best days were behind it.

Berry Brothers Glencadam Tasting Notes

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.

Douglas McGibbon Glencadam Tasting Notes

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Glencadam 2004 (8 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: PRV0971/ DMG9484

Dist: Apr 2004 Btl: Mar 2013/ Tasted: Apr 2013

Quite a voluptuous nose of honeyed orange and barley with hints of castor, citrus and a touch of oak. Very summery with a late warm spice note and a touch of grass.

The palate is sweet and sugared with honey, barley, fleshy banana and white fruit along with some fudgy oak and a pure vanilla’d middle. A thread of lime runs through and balances the sweetness. Lovely depth and length with a long, honeyed finish.

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Glencadam 2004 (10 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: PRV1122/ DMG10596

Dist: Apr 2004 Btl: Dec 2014/ Tasted: Jan 2015

The nose is dominate by the creamy/buttery oak, although hints of herbal citrus, honey and orange blossom can be detected.

The palate mirrors the nose with creamy/ buttery/ toffee’d oak with just a suggestion of herbs and citrus. Good length though with a spicy finish.

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Glencadam 1998 (12 year old) 46%

Refill Sherry Butt/ Code: PRV0738/ DMG7656

Dist Dec 1998 Btl: Jul 2011/ Tasted: Nov 2011

Quite a full nose with an almost re-fill sherry sweetness. Slightly gristy with some dried fruit , liquorice and caramel oak. With time the aromas become quite herbaceous reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc.

The palate opens with candied, spiced citrus fruit along with a hint of dried fruit, granite and herbs. Not as overtly fruity as some bottlings but pleasant enough although the oak probably bites a bit too hard and bitters out the finish, although in saying that it does impart a serious  level of spice, so all in all, not too bad.

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Glencadam 1998 (14 year old) 46%

Refill Sherry Butt/ Code: PRV0992/ DMG9634

Dist: Dec 1998 Btl: May 2013/ Tasted: June 2013

A dusty, straw-like nose with hints of white fruit and tangerine. The oak seems quite mature even though its influence is quite light. Lightly spiced with a herbal intimation. With time the natural oils become more pronounced.

The palate is light and herbal. Slightly grassy with some spritzy white fruit. Good intensity, if a little hot with hints of spice and drying oak. Good finish with a touch of barley and straw.

MacPhail’s Glencadam Tasting Notes

Gordon & MacPhails ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ Glencadam 1990 (20 year old) 43%

First Fill Bourbon/ Dist: 1990 Btl: June 2010/ Tasted: June 2011

A superb, deep and malty nose. A lovely melange of blood orange, tropical fruit, grippy oak – although the vanillins are very soft. The oak does start to dominate the proceedings but it has a gorgeous sawdusty edge. In saying that the oak is balanced by some deft citrus and grassy notes. It’s not quite as voluptuously tropical as the distillery bottlings but this bottling is still exceptionally good.

A lovely, soft barley entry, joined by some slightly toasted oak but the demerara sprinkled barley keeps the balance adroitly. A full on, mouth wateringly fruity middle, subtly tropical and subtly honeyed. A beautifully elegant palate and a gentle spicy finish.

Gordon & MacPhail ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ Glencadam 1974 (23 year old) 40%

Bourbon/ Dist: 1974 Btl: 1997/ Tasted: Apr 2004

Aromas of creamy oak and orange, with some oak and distinct tangerine notes.

Light, smooth and sweetish on the palate, with some traces of tangerine/ orange, a touch of spice and subtle bourbon oak on the finish..

Dewar Rattray Glencadam Tasting Notes

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Glencadam 1990 (16 year old) 59.7%

Bourbon Cask 5980/ Dist: Oct 1990 Btl: June 2007/ Tasted: Aug 2007

Quite oily aromas with a whiff of diesel and smoke. Extremely fresh with tangerine and orange citrus fruit, candy, earth and a floral top note. On the palate it is soft and oily opening with a touch of smoke followed by oily vanilla, orange and a touch of salt. Finishes dry with alcohol dominating.

A drop of water softens the nose and brings out a leafy/ bark note and emphasizes the creaminess and floral character. Again it is more creamy on the palate. Very smooth with a lovely background of smoke and a touch of peat. Delightfully soft and fruity with a lovely length and a dry finish.

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Glencadam 1990 (17 year old) 59.1%

Bourbon Cask 5981/ Dist; Oct 1990 Btl: Nov 2007/ Tasted: May 2008

It seems to initially have quiet a dense nose with perfumed, mature orange, barley and malt notes along with a touch of spice. However it’s really shy and the aromas take a lot of swirling and coaxing out.

The palate is quiet soft and slightly oily, showing earthy orange fruit, citrus and a touch of straw/ grass. The intensity builds nicely through out finishing with a lovely sherberty sweet/ spicy finish.

A drop of water subdues an already shy nose and brings out a waxy, lanolin note. On the palate it emphasises the sherberty character as well as the grass/ straw note. It’s pleasant, certainly not bad, with good fruit, but at the end of the day it’s a touch evanescent.

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Glencadam 1990 (20 year old) 58.1%

Bourbon Cask 5987/ Dist: Oct 1990 Btl: Feb 2011/ Tasted: Feb 2011

A crisp and intense nose of lemon and lime fruit liberally sprinkled with icing sugar. Stunningly fresh for its age with hints of grass and undertones of pineapple, banana and ultra clean creamy oak. I don’t think I’ve come across a Glencadam that is this fresh and edgy although with time it does start to show its age with a touch of delightfully mature honey.

The palate is awash with the trade mark distillery tropical fruit character. Some lazy spice and alcohol drift in but the gentle honey just glides down the throat. This is superb. Crisp barley and some citrus fruit balances and it shows just a hint of grassiness. Very long with the pineapple and banana returning. Awesome!

Water freshens the nose up even more and there is more mature honey evident now along with more brittle barley. The palate is softer and grassier now and as the honey and oak retreats it allows the edgy barley room to shine. Quite sherberty now and less full and the botanical heavy finish does seem to give the impression that this cask has been bottles in the nick of time. Once again I would opt to drink this neat.

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Glencadam 1990 (23 year old) 55.1%

Bourbon Hogshead 5989/ Dist: Oct 1990 Btl: Jan 2014/ Tasted: Jan 2014

A lovely nose of dusty, earthy spices which mingle with the mature orange/ tangerine, followed by hints of toast, herbs and decaying rose petals. Then, almost out of nowhere comes a blast of granulated sugar coated sub-tropical pineapple, kiwi and light, citrus infused honey. Wow! This is beautiful!

The palate is full and lightly tropical with tinned pineapple, baked cinnamon sprinkled apple and apricot along with hints of straw, malt, liquorice and coffee. It really thickens towards the middle, displaying malt so thick you could cut it with a knife! Bold, mature, very long and very juicy. The coffee notes have infused the orange and liberally coat the mouth and linger. In conclusion this is a beautifully mature malt with just the right amount of alcohol to add a balancing freshness. However the oak does eventually dry the after-taste.