In all my years of drinking Scotch whisky, I've never had Glencadam until now; and instead of one of their official distillery bottlings, this is an independent single cask bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS").
Glencadam is owned by Angus Dundee (who also owns Tomintoul!), and has a wide range of official bottlings, from 10- to 25-years old. Here are the official tasting notes:
A frolicking, fruity, fun aroma at the bakery greeted the Panel - apple turnover, pineapple upside-down cake, strawberry fondant chocolate cupcakes and raspberry croissants. On the palate neat, a green apple zingy-ness combined with a blast of cinnamon and ginger at first, before sweet raspberry and vanilla coulis was drizzled over a peach cobbler or meringue. After the addition of water, the freshness of apple-mint salad with a lime vinaigrette emerged while to taste, still a fun dram with plenty of spice but now beautifully balanced by the additional flavours of spearmint, coconut macaroons, orange sherbet and a milky vanilla chai tea.
Aged 9 years in a second-fill barrel, nicknamed "Frolicking Flavors," this is bottled at a very, very healthy 62.8% ABV. I am interesting in all those fruity aromas and flavors listed above! If I had to zero in on a few, I would say that I'm particularly looking for raspberry, peach, and that lime vinaigrette. Let's see how it does:
Nose: What a pleasant series of scents! Baked apple-filled pastries, raspberry coulis, rummy pineapple - the official notes are pretty on point. Lots of heavily alcoholic fruit. Succulent, pungent!
With time and water, the core fruit remains, but there is a very heavy, oily fragrance of flowers that settles over all the other scents. Extremely floral. 10/10 floral. Makes Bowmore seem like a joke.
Mouthfeel: Surprisingly thin! Not a robust mouthfeel.
Palate: Wow, this is highly, highly floral. I don't think I've ever had such a floral whisky. Flowers by the bouquet: lavender, violet, honeysuckle, roses, you name it. Hell, azaleas! Some general vanilla sweetness, some oak - this 2nd fill cask must have had quite a bit of life left in it. An uncommon and attractive flavor profile. At the end of the development, some spices - mostly cinnamon. Perhaps hints of gentian, ginger.
With water - Exactly the same. No change. OK - one change - gets a little bit oakier.
Finish: Quite a rich finish! Surprisingly so. Medium-long in length, it's full of herbs and flowers and rich wood. Carries on for a pretty long time.
Verdict: Wow, so this is Glencadam, eh? This bottle, at 9 years old, is a good mix of cask and spirit. It's fruity, it's HIGHLY floral (what a fragrance!), yet it's also oaky without bitterness. Very very attractive dram. I'm quite glad I picked this one up. Frolicking flavors, indeed!
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