I won this bottle at auction a few months back and decided it was time to open it. The Cardhu 18 is a UK exclusive that goes for around $75-80. My winning bid was about $60 after the exchange rate. Add on 10% fees plus shipping and I’d say that I paid close to UK retail. Let’s see what’s under the hood of this Speyside single malt. Bottled at 40% ABV, is chill filtered and has colorant added making it an amber honey color. The nose has lots of honey, some citrus and is malty. Tangerine marmalade, peaches, grapes and some light apples. Predominantly sherry notes, but there also seems to be some bourbon maturation as well. Brown sugar, caramel, buttered toast. Coffee or mocha, toffee, maple. Nutty - Brazil nuts, hazelnut, nutmeg, ginger and anise. Floral, grassy and perfumed, green oak at times. For a moment there was a super sweet/fruity note like Skittles or Fruity Pebbles. The palate starts with oranges and tangerines and honey. Very malty, but more of a dark roasted malt akin to that used in a stout beer. Vanilla cream, anise, butterscotch. Oak tannins, dark chocolate, salted caramels. Faint mint, sherry, but more of a dark and juicy sherry rather than a sweet and fruity sherry. Green grapes and a gentle touch of wood smoke. Some wood spice, but it’s overall a mild and very drinkable whisky. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is creamy and lightly oily, dry. The finish is medium length with dark chocolate malt, honey and is dry. Looking back at my notes on the 12 year old, which is about $35 less in the UK market (I paid $60 here in Michigan), they seem to stack up fairly evenly. Honey, citrus and chocolate malt seem to be the Cardhu house profile. This 18 isn’t bad, but why pay more for what equates to a slightly darker and deeper version of the 12? Not a great scotch, but it’s got the complexity where it counts and is not overly expensive. For that I give it a 3.75. Cheers