Glencadam 17yo 2005/2022 Port Pipe

Glencadam 17yo 2005/2022 Port Piper

Official bottling 

Single malt - East Highlands
Dark red 
59% ABV
Dram

Nose: Blackcurrant cordial, raspberry jam, sandalwood, ginger snaps, toast, shortbread. With water, raspberry jam, orange peel, roses, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, mouth coating, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Blackcurrant cordial, chocolate, vanilla, cherries, ginger snaps, shortcrust pastry. With water, cherries, orange peel, raspberry jam, shortbread. 
Finish: Short. Shortcrust pastry, toast, chocolate, ginger snaps, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Cask 2788. Posh Ribena! Toasty, fruity and warm, with plenty of ginger biscuits on the nose and on the tongue. Water opens up a floral set of notes, roses predominate. Very nice dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glencadam Small Batch PX Reserva

Glencadam Small Batch PX Reserva

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Highlands
Red
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, fresh baked bread, vanilla sponge, marmalade, strawberry jam, vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black pepper, fresh baked bread, strawberry jam, red wine, marmalade, malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Black pepper, red wine, fresh baked bread, marmalade. 

Comments: 

Sweet, a little jammy with plenty of black pepper. It’s pleasant and straightforward, doesn’t have the layers of complexity or the big malty spine that I like very much. Decent dram though.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glencadam 11yo 2011/2022 Parcel No 10

Glencadam 11yo 2011/2022 Parcel No 10

Reserve Casks, Single Malts of Scotland
Single malt - East Highlands
Silvery gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, yogurt, lemon juice, fresh cut grass, sultanas, hints of cinder toffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, astringent, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Yoghurt, wet stones, cinder toffee, cinnamon, fresh cut grass, malted grains, hints of toast. 
Finish: Short. Wet stones, cinder toffee, cinnamon, clay dust, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Malty and light, some grassy notes, but in the main it’s flinty and slightly toasty. Somewhat low on the complexity front. Very much a session dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glencadam 25yo 1983/2008

Glencadam 25yo 1983/2008

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Highlands
Amber gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Clay dust, raisins, mint, tyre rubber, tobacco leaf, honey, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Raisins, mint, orange peel, tobacco leaf, honey, pear drops, clay dust, damson jam. 
Finish: Long. White grapes, raisins, pear drops, damson jam. 

Comments: 

Cask 1002. Sweet and slightly sulphurous (albeit a nice level rather than overpowering). Lots of slightly dusty, feinty notes too. Fades to a long lingering fruity finish. Very enjoyable, maybe one of the best Glencadams I’ve had.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glencadam 29yo 1972/2001

Glencadam 29yo 1972/2001

First Cask, The Malt Whisky Circle 
Single malt - East Highlands
Pale gold

46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Papayas, pineapples, lemon zest, guava, leather, malted grains, hints of cream. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Barley sugar, malted grains, guava, vanilla, honey, lemon zest, leather. 
Finish: Long. Ginseng, honey, vanilla, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Cask 7639. I do find Glencadam to be quite a fruity distillate, but in this case I think I am tasting more old bottle effect that spirit. It’s indeed fruity, but it’s also leathery and slightly nutty. It’s very tasty and complex, especially at 40%, but I’m pretty sure it didn’t taste like this when bottled. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glencadam 26yo 1989/2015

Glencadam 26yo 1989/2015

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - East Highlands 
Bright gold
55.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, butter, malted grains, candle wax, brass polish, rhubarb and custard sweets. With water, lemon zest, leather, white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lemon juice, lemon zest, malted grains, fresh baked bread, rhubarb and custard sweets, barley sugar. With water, sweeter, barley sugar, rhubarb and custard sweets, lemon zest. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, oatcakes, vanilla, walnuts, hints of ginseng. 

Comments: 

Bright and citrusy, this whisky tastes younger than it is, yet carries quite a deep complexity. The flavours are well defined and intense, and taper to a cereally, bitter finish. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Glencadam 15yo 2004/2019

Glencadam 15yo 2004/2019

Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single malt - East Highlands
Pale gold
48.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Butter, toast, white grapes, vanilla, cotton sheets, honeydew melon, hints of gooseberries. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slippery, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Toast, white grapes, honey, honeydew melon, rolled oats, butter. 
Finish: Long. Honeydew melon, butter, rolled oats, gooseberries. 

Comments: 

This whisky is delicate, fruity and cereally. Lots of fragrant esters overlaying some highly flavourful spirit. Mouthfeel wise, it's loose and a bit thin - not the most pleasant. Not an autumn whisky, but a summer one - maybe even to be enjoyed with ice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glencadam 18yo

Glencadam 18yo

Official bottling
Single malt - East Highlands
Pale gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Watermelons, barley sugar, lemon zest, honey, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Watermelons, barley sugar, nutmeg, sea salt, hints of milk. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, raisins, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Beautiful unusual notes of watermelon and nutmeg. Allied with slightly savoury notes around the edges, this makes for a delicious and refreshing dram. About the only flaw is that the finish is somewhat uncomplicated. 18 years old is a magic number for whisky, where it suddenly turns from nice to delicious.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glencadam 21 yo

Glencadam 21 yo 

Official bottling
Single malt - East Highlands
Sunshine yellow
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oranges, vanilla, white grapes, cream, hints of chamomile. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, fuzzy, loose. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Vanilla, lemon zest, orange juice, cream, white chocolate. 
Finish: Short. White grapes, chamomile, vanilla, hints of green tea. 

Comments: 

Gentle and fruity, tastes young despite its decent age. Sweet, turns slightly more robust and creamy after holding it in the mouth for a while. Then it fades away to a fruity, herbal, slightly tannic finish. This is one whisky where I feel adding water would definitely destroy the complexity.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 82.20 (Glencadam 17 yo 1998/2015)

SMWS 82.20 (Glencadam 17 yo 1998/2015)

2015, SMWS
Single malt - East Highlands
Brown, tinge of green
54.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, dried cranberries, raisins, prunes, banana bread, hints of dried apples. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, loose, slightly fizzy . 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Toast, dried apples, red grapes, malted grains, plums, hints of blueberries. 
Finish: Short. Dried apples, raisins, black tea, banana bread, hints of prunes. 

Comments: 

Bananary, very bananary. Not the full on slightly overripe banana notes in bourbon though, this is toasty, cooked, almost like banana bread. Also plenty of dried fruit and dried apples, dripping with alcoholic sweetness. Some tannins, not overpowering. Good whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glencadam 15 yo (OB 2013)

Glencadam 15 yo (OB 2013)

Official bottling 
Single malt - East Highlands
Straw 
46% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Vanilla, lemon juice, cough mixture, hibiscus, dried cherries, hints of chillies.
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, slippery, turns water.
Tasting: Sweet sour . Vanilla, dried cherries, apricots, orange peel, hibiscus, hints of leather.
Finish: Short. Vanilla, apricots, lemon juice, hints of smoked ham.

Comments:

Hmm. Very different from its pre-2008 cousin, in almost all respects. The colour and mouthfeel are different, and this is very much lighter whisky. It is less savoury, less chewy, instead being light, sweet, and ever so floral. I associate that note with hibiscus water. Nice.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glencadam 15 yo (OB pre 2008)

Glencadam 15 yo (OB pre 2008)

Official bottling
Single malt - East Highlands
Reddish amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, honey, smoked ham, dried cherries, hints of rope.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slippery, turns watery.
Tasting: Sour salty. Oranges, dried cherries, lychees, leather, smoked ham, apricots.
Finish: Medium. Dried cherries, lychees, leather, hints of tobacco.

Comments:

A fine fruity, complex dram. I believe this has now been discontinued and the distillery 15 yo expression is now bottled at 46%. It may be better, and now goes on the list of malts to try. I was slightly disappointed at the price, I may have paid twice what it was worth.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glencadam 25 yo 1982/2007

Glencadam 25 yo 1982/2007

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - East Highlands
Golden
51.2% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Leather, iodine, lemons, malty beer, sea salt, molasses, hints of raisins. With water, sweeter, less leathery and salty, pears, magic marker appear.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, warm, thickens.
Tasting: Sour salty. Honey, leather, iodine, vanilla, cream, oats, raisins, hints of molasses. With water, sweeter, more cereally and oaty, raisins really come to the fore.
Finish: Medium. Hot, lemons, iodine, leather, sea salt.

Comments:

Throat-tickling, and salty cereally when neat, but takes water pretty well. I added more than a splash, way beyond my usual two dribbles, and it opened up a lot - much sweeter, a little more like Juicy Pear jelly beans, and more fruity too.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 82.18 (Glencadam 11 yo 1998/2009)

SMWS 82.18 (Glencadam 11 yo 1998/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - East Highlands
Orange amber
58.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rubber, burnt sugar, chocolate, blackcurrants, raisins, custard, vanilla, hints of orange peel. With water, red grapes, more blackcurrants.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, hot, volatile.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Burnt sugar, custard, blackcurrants, raisins, vanilla, hints of burning paper. With water, red grapes, blackcurrant jam.
Finish: Long. Chillies, blackcurrants, raisins, burnt sugar.

Comments:

Hot and sweet. Lots of blackcurrants, like alcoholic ribena. I think the sherry cask has done its work a little too well, with the sweetness obscuring the more delicate notes. A very decent digestif, but too sweet on an empty stomach.

Verdict:

I like this.