Cardhu 14yo (2021 Special Releases)

Cardhu 14yo (2021 Special Releases)

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold 
55.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, sandalwood, honey, cherries, marigolds, vanilla, hints of orange peel. With water, malted grains, sandalwood, honey, cherries. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, mouth coating, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Cream, vanilla, cherries, marigolds, malted grains, white pepper, orange peel. With water, vanilla, cream, cherries, peaches. 
Finish: Short. Orange peel, white pepper, malted grains, honey, hints of cherries. 

Comments: 

Floral and fragrant, lots of honey, lots of stone fruit. Very intense on the top layer, but the finish is brief, although powerful. Water brings out more cream and vanilla.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cardhu 18yo

Cardhu 18yo

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, raisins, butterscotch, damson jam, apple juice, plums. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, astringent, expands. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, butterscotch, apple juice, lemon zest, white pepper, dark chocolate, hints of malted grains. 
Finish: Medium. Dark chocolate, malted grains, apple juice, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Rather light and toffee’d whisky, with some notes of chocolate and butterscotch. It’s subtly spiced, but feels thin and under-proof.

Verdict:

I like this.

Cardhu 16yo (2022 Special Releases)

Cardhu 16yo (2022 Special Releases)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Pale gold
58% ABV
Dram

Nose: Milk, honey, salt caramel, malted grains, pear drops, bubble gum, hints of apple juice. With water, milk, pear drops, toast, bubble gum. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Pear drops, milk, lemon zest, cola bottles, bubble gum, apple juice, hints of tamarind. With water, honey, milk, butterscotch, hints of bubble gum. 
Finish: Long. Cola bottles, bubble gum, apple juice, milk, hints of lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Sweet and fruity, lots of bubble gum esters, but also backed up with some malty complexity. I don’t often get to try whisky from this distillery, but this is a very light and sweet expression.

Verdict:

I like this.

Cardhu 11yo 2008/2020 (2020 Special Release)

Cardhu 11yo 2008/2020 (2020 Special Release)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Pale gold 
56% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, apples, pineapples, malted grains, honeydew melons, wet stones. With water, vanilla, malted grains, white grapes, hints of pineapples. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, turns sticky, thickens. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Malted grains, vanilla, apples, fresh baked bread, wet stones, passionfruit, hints of anise, hints of white pepper. With water, slightly sweeter, white grapes, white pepper, honeydew melons. 
Finish: Short. Passionfruit, apples, wet stones, anise, hints of lemon zest. 

Comments: 

A 2020 Special Releases bottling. It never ceases to amaze me that people collect based on the label or the series rather than the whisky inside. This one is alright though - fruity and flinty, with a fair bit of malt. Quite gentle and rich too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Cardhu 14yo (2019 Special Release)

Cardhu 14yo (2019 Special Release)

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Pale copper 
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, raisins, vanilla, honey, nutmeg, condensed milk, cream. With water, golden syrup, toffee, vanilla fudge. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, turns syrupy, tingly, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, vanilla, nutmeg, clotted cream, butter, golden syrup, hints of cedar. With water, bitter orange, nutmeg, vanilla fudge. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, bitter orange, vanilla, butter. 

Comments: 

I don't often get to try Cardhu, because not only is the variety of official bottlings quite sparse, there seem to be almost no indies as well. This special release was a welcome addition. It's really very good, chockful of cream and fruit, light sweetness cut through with a bitter orange flavour. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Cardhu Special Cask Reserve CS/CR 12.14

Cardhu Special Cask Reserve CS/CR 12.14

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, coffee, fried eggs, toffee, honey, hints of sulphur. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, turns watery, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Chocolate, ginseng, coffee, oranges, honey, hints of tamarind. 
Finish: Short. Red grapes, toffee, oranges, chocolate, hints of coffee. 

Comments: 

Fried eggs and coffee! Loaded with chocolate too, this whisky is sweet and unctuous. Definitely loads of sherry cask, but still slightly tart on the tongue. This was the last whisky of a very long night, but it was still great. I was done after this one - couldn't taste anything else.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 106.17 (Cardhu 20 yo 1984/2005)

SMWS 106.17 (Cardhu 20 yo 1984/2005)

2005, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Dull gold
57.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Butter, raisins, orange peel, hints of peat, hints of red wine, hints of milk chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slightly watery, then static.
Tasting: Sweet. Vanilla, sponge cake, chinese egg roll, peaches, milk chocolate, plums, nutmeg, hints of red wine.
Finish: Long. Peaches, milk chocolate, raisins, sponge cake.

Comments:

Almost as expected - a lot of fruit, slight winey notes. The official bottlings have more intense fruit, which almost extrudes onto the palate. In comparison this is a little more subtle. I have to say I'm slightly disappointed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Cardhu 12 yo

Cardhu 12 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Light gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, hint of peat, white grapes, caramel, butterscotch, demerara sugar.
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, warm.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Honey, cayenne pepper, raisins, white grapes, strawberries, orange peel, hints of peat.
Finish: Short. Peanuts, raisins, white grapes.

Comments:

This is the Cardhu bottling that replaced the infamous Cardhu Pure Malt (something which wasn't wholly Cardhu spirit, and was rightly pulled by Diageo after massive complaints). Very raisiny and grapey without being too aggressive. Nice fruit and spiciness in the taste. Good whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Cardhu Special Cask Reserve CS/CR.07.0

Cardhu Special Cask Reserve

Official bottling
Single malt - SpeysideGolden40% ABV
Dram
Nose: Raisins, sherry, honey, butter, tea, hint of roast chicken.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, thick, full, heavy body, syrupy, luxurious.
Tasting: Sweet. Honey, nutmeg, butterscotch, overripe pears, apricots.
Finish: Short. Sour apples, bitter oats, camphor.

Comments:
Cask ref #CS/CR.07.04 - I think this is a later bottling (2004). Made from specially selected "very old casks". Is the buttery note rancio? I can't tell. Maybe - there's some roast chicken flavour here that could very well be it. Very rich and sweet, highly enjoyable. Some sherry monster, this.

Verdict:

I like this a lot!