For the past three weeks, summer has exploded here in Italy, with temperatures well over 30°C (90°F and more, for those of you sticking to obsolete temperature units). Not exactly whisky-dinking weather. So the temptation to take a small break has been strong, but with no respite from the heat in sight, this might have ended in a much longer break than I wished for. So instead, I decided it was time to kick off a series of reviews dedicated to teen-aged single malts and to do so with a review of the Glencadam 15-year-old.
Disclaimer: The title of this series of reviews in no way wants to encourage underage drinking: it is a tribute to the Undertones and their famous hit, Teenage Kicks, one of the best songs to come out of the UK punk scene.
TL:DR: Elegance meets power, a deliciously refreshing fruity and floral taste sensation
Score: 7.5, Very good indeed and… even a little more
Still an under-the-radar distillery?
Glencadam was sort of an obvious choice to get things back to Single Malt here on the blog. I am still a big fan of the Glencadam 10 (my review here), and it remains one of my favourite summer whiskies – fruity fresh but still able to hold its own. The Glencadam 15 I am about to review today is a whisky I have had the opportunity to try a few times before, and it builds on what the 10 delivers. And while both whiskies keep getting love from the whisky fans crowd, Glencadam as a whole continues to be, to my eyes, one of the most underappreciated distilleries compared to what it delivers.
So why is that the case? I suspect there are a few reasons. The first one is that Angus Dundee, Glencadam’s owners, is a smaller player and does not have the marketing firepower that bigger players have. That makes sense for the wider market, but whisky aficionados care less about that sort of stuff. Some of the various cask finishes in Glencadam’s lineup have had a mixed reception from fans, with some feeling the cask influence can overpower the elegant character of the spirit. Which brings me to the real reason why I believe Glencadam is underappreciated. At its best, Glencadam is an elegant light spirit, with a lovely balance of fruit, floral notes and acidity. Maybe too delicate and elegant to make an impression on those looking for bolder flavours. But as the saying goes… more for me.
Happy 200th
Before jumping to the review of the Glencadam 15, it is worth mentioning that Glencadam is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. Besides two periods when the distillery was mothballed, in the mid-1800s and between 2000-2003, Glencadam has been operational throughout this time. To celebrate this occasion, the distillery is finally getting its own visitor centre, expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Considering the current downturn and the news earlier this year of declining sales for Angus Dundee as a whole (while still keeping a healthy positive revenue), I can only cross my fingers and wish Glencadam another 200 years and more of successful business.
Glencadam 15 year old
Specs
Price paid: €75.62
Lot: L23 11847 CB2
ABV: 46%
Natural colour: Yes
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Casks Used: Exclusively aged in ex-Bourbon casks
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale gold like an oaked white wine.
Nose: Richly fruity with floral and citrus notes. I smell ripe apples, yellow peaches, some pears, jasmine flowers, lime rind. Then more spicy cask-driven notes: vanilla, cinnamon and some powdered ginger. There are some slight notes of raw grain, a little dusty grain even. As it breathes, the fruit starts to become more tropical, mango and melon, and there are some pastry-like notes, like a rich custard and fruit tart glazed with lime jelly.
Taste & finish: The mouthfeel is warming and mouthcoating. The fruitiness on the palate is retained, and the spice is much more noticeable. The fruit is richer, stone and tropical fruit, a definite hint of mango. Then vanilla, a big hit of cinnamon, grapefruit peel and some liquorice.
The finish is medium long, reminiscent of fruit pastry, citrus peel, liquorice and cinnamon and ginger spice.
Score: 7.5, Very good indeed and… even a little more
Each one of us, after a short while exploring whisky, develops a preference for some profiles and a dislike for others. I am very aware of my dislikes: single malts which lack complexity and those that are overly fruity and sweet. At first sight, Glencadam might fall into the latter category. But it is far from a monotone fruity dram. The layers of acidity, spice, and floral notes lift it up and make it a great fruity dram. At times, the Glencadam 10 reminds me of a young, fresh white wine. The 15, keeping with that comparison, is more like an oaked aged counterpart, richer, riper, but also more layered.
Score-wise, I could have stuck with a 7 for the Glencadam 15 in this review, but I decided to give it a bit more. Because I know with time and air, this will open up some more. I tried this batch side by side with an older batch I had for some time. While the common character between the two is immediately evident, the older batch has richer tropical mango notes on the nose and is slightly less spiced on the palate, resulting even more elegant. And that future promise deserves that extra half point in my book
* Scores are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
Interested in my take on a specific whisky style? Check the full Journey here and jump to the relevant Chapter.
After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of the Glencadam 15 enjoyed:
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