Cadenhead Creations 26 Year Light Creamy Vanilla

Cadenhead is better known for its single cask bottlings than the blends it occasionally produces, but the whiskies it releases in the Creation range are worth checking out for their often generous age statements and noteworthy components. This 26-year-old malt blend was one of two 20cl “cask end” bottles I picked up at their London store last month and comprises whiskies from Aultmore, Braeval, Bruichladdich, Glen Grant, Glenlivet, Strathisla and Tamdhu. The whiskies were “vatted” in a single hogshead cask in 2006 and bottled in 2017, so they were at least 15 years old when they came together. The resulting outrun of about 288 bottles was named “Light Creamy Vanilla,” but it’s hard to understand why. The nose is warm pecan pie, peanut skins and rich, dry sherry notes. Water brings out a hint of lemons. In the mouth it’s syrupy, with flavors of nuts, dark brown sugar and poached pears. The finish is long, nutty and rich. It’s delicious and great value at 70 pounds a bottle, especially when you consider the price Compass Box would charge for a similar recipe, and I might well mark it up to five stars with further tastings. One footnote: I was so puzzled by the mismatch between the “Light Creamy Vanilla” label and the flavors I picked up that I emailed the Cadenhead store to enquire if they might have labeled the bottle incorrectly, given that they are written by hand in the shop. Not so, replied the store manager, noting that it was a rather rich batch and had reminded him also of a sherry cask. So don’t read too much into these Creations names. Someone at the warehouse might just be mixing up their tasting notes with their Starbucks order.