Cardhu Special Cask Reserve

- 3July2019

Nose: Dried stone fruits (apricot, peach, nectarine) and tropical fruit aromas. Vanilla and lots of malty cereal. It's almost a little beery - like a fruity IPA. There's a facet of the nose that is unsurprisingly similar to Johnnie Walker blends. Palate: Sweet cereal on the arrival - you can clearly taste barley - and vanilla. A laid back development of soft caramel, berries and honey - it's sweet but not syrupy, a little like a blended tropical fruit juice or a fruit-flavoured toffee. The texture is velvety, rich and satisfying. There is some ultra soft spice (cinnamon, nutmeg) and over time you notice a faint wisp of smoke or char on the palate that continues into the aftertaste. Finish: Medium. A flash of dry cacao followed immediately by sweet honey. The aftertaste is very gentle and soft. An easy and accommodating dram that would be an ideal introductory or second whisky for novices, but may be a little tame for more experienced palates. Then again, sometimes a soft and relaxing dram is most welcome and I wouldn't turn my nose up at a pour of this. It also improves noticeably after resting for a few minutes in the glass. It's certainly not flawed or devoid of character, but I keep getting a nagging feeling that the nose and palate are closer in character to those of a good blend rather than a single malt. It's probably due to the ground-floor level abv, but I don't think this would work as well at higher strength. This is another cosy dram that sits comfortably alongside the likes of Strathisla 12 or Royal Lochnagar 12, and it is a small but definite step up from the regular Cardhu 12 year old. The only issue I have is with the price. Tasted from a 30ml sample - I didn't try it with water because it seemed unnecessary. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)

7/3/19

Review for batch number c s/c r 13.15 Wonderful color, and the maturity is obvious. Sherry on the nose with vanilla. Palate has notes of fruit cake and honey, some almond. Oily and enveloping on the tongue, with a fairly long finish. Very good.