The 15 year-old Glencadam has been around for a while now – almost a decade in fact, apart from a brief period of stock shortages that coincided with Ralfy naming it his whisky of the year. As usual for Glencadam, it’s bottled at 46% and without chill-filtration or added colouring. It’s matured in a combination of first and second fill bourbon casks, with a higher proportion of first fill than the 10 year-old.
Nose: Crisp and fresh. This is a great spring/summertime dram, full of zesty sweetness and an assortment of green apples, citrus fruits and icing sugar.
Palate: Juicy and sweet, with a great interplay of citrus fruit and fresh apples. Some nuttiness in the background, as well as honey sweetness.
Finish: Quite long, fruity and sweet, with a mouthwatering zing.
Comments: I was surprised when I found out about the high proportion of first fill casks here, because I always thought of the Glencadam 15 as the 10 with 5 extra years. It has a similar vibrancy that feels driven by the distillate, rather than the wood. Highly recommended – its only issue, as I’ve said elsewhere, is the great value for money the 10 year-old offers.
Score: 87/100
