Cardhu 12 Year

Cardhu 12 Year is a whisky I first had in a tapas bar in Adams Morgan, in the basement bar. It was the only Scotch on the shelf I didn't recognize, and so earned a visit to my mouth. And my impressions were positive: smooth honey, gentle bright fruit, soft finish. 

I did a little reading and discovered Cardhu is apparently mammothly popular in Spain (who knew?) and that it had been off the market for a bit, but has returned recently. Bottled at 40% ABV, which I always find a little thin for my liking. 


I then had a second glass of Cardhu 12 at a different bar that specialized in Scotches, and sketched my impressions, to be recorded without any more delay:

Nose: Fruit, but not of the sherried kind. Poached apples, maybe pears or pear drops, a nice herbal note in there somewhere. Rather easy nose, honestly. The very suggestion of smoke on the tail end of each sniff. Like a single smoke signal sent from an apple orchard in the middle distance. 

Mouthfeel: Medium body, but exceptionally smooth. 

Palate: Very well balanced across the spectrum.... but it's a narrow spectrum. Honey. More apples, more pears, a little exhale of smoke on the back. Maybe some vanilla hints. Not a lot else going on. Possibly some citrus, but limp citrus. 

Finish: The vanilla ripens and brings an oddly minty oak with it. I would almost say menthol, but it's not strong enough. It might just be a quirk of the numbing dryness of the oak. 

Verdict: It's a nice, very sweet, simple Speyside. Others have said this already across the web, and others will say it again. Yet, it's nice. Tasty. Toasty. I would give it a Recommended, especially if you like sweet whiskies, and particularly as a dessert offering, maybe at a restaurant or bar in the same setting I encountered it. Quite pleasant. Reminds me of the sweet, honeyed herbal Spanish liqueur 43 (Cuarenta Y Tres), perhaps accounting for its popularity in Spain. 

Link to the website for Cardhu 12 Year: http://www.malts.com/index.php/en_us/Our-Whiskies/Cardhu/The-Family