Cardhu 14 Year (2019 Special Release)

Nose (neat): Grainy cereal, rather hard and "shiny" in character with a youthful, yeasty personality. Some dusty notes on the periphery, like sawdust or grain-silo dust. The abv weight overpowers the nose, but some mild lemon peel and brine notes struggle through. Nose: (watered): Similar but with less impact. Dilution does release a cloud of floral notes that are not entirely positive. It gave me the impression of floral-scented bathroom soap. Palate (neat): Bittersweet/sour grassy cereal arrival with some lemon zest. The development (which is quite sudden and distinct) brings sweeter fruity notes, like stewed orchard and stone fruits (pears, peaches, apricots). The texture is forgettable. Palate (watered): As with the nose (in fact, *exactly* as with the nose) the palate loses some of its definition and presence and gains a prominent soapy floral character when diluted. Finish: Medium/Sudden. An unusual finish - the palate gives the promise of length and an unfurling of complexity, which it does briefly but then stops dead, like a door slamming. There is, however, an aftertaste of Nutella on white bread toast. Apparently "double matured" for two years in amontillado sherry casks, there is a strong suggestion of that sherry on both the nose and palate as briny notes and dryness, together with a bittersweet patina. It's an odd profile for Cardhu which is typically a sweet, soft whisky. Enthusiasts of the Special Releases might appreciate this for its unusual character but devotees of core-range Cardhu will probably not take to it at all. Overall it's an OK but not great whisky - just barely better than average. This reminded me of some of the lighter, estery Speyside offerings in Diageo's "Flora and Fauna" range and it seems very yound to me - I would never have guessed this is 14 years old. Tasted from a 30 ml sample. "Above Average (just barely)" : 80/100 (3 stars)

Nose: Toffee with hints of a salted nutriness. It mixes with a salted caramel and a bit of nugget too. Makes me think of a nice chocolate truffle. Lastly a tad bit of citrus peel. Palate: very citrusy on the palate a little more milk chocolate and caramel that mixes well with freshness of the citrus. Finish: a little bit of cooked caramel and a little bit of ginger spice which is a nice addition to the slight bitterness that creeps in the end