The Scotch Review: Glencadam 10 year old Single Malt Review

Situated about 2 hours northeast of Edinburgh is the town of Brechin and home to Glencadam Distillery. Started in 1825 by merchant George Cooper the distillery has changed hands on numerous occasions before being mothballed in 2000 by then owners Allied Domecq. The distillery really didn’t have much brand presence as a single malt, rather the malt was used extensively for blending in brands such as Ballantine’s and Stewart’s Cream of the Barley.

In 2003 though the distillery was taken over by Angus Dundee Plc who also own Tomintoul Distillery. Production restarted and by 2008 the Glencadam lineup was repackaged and relaunched including the 10 year old expression. 2010 saw the release of three new expressions, the 12 year old port wood finish, 14 year old Oloroso finish and the 21 year old.

As a brand that doesn’t have a huge marketing budget they instead have to rely on the quality of the spirit to do the talking, imagine! Because of this Glencadam present their whisky the way us enthusiasts like to see it. Non chill filtered, natural colour and 46% abv. Judging by the colour it looks like plenty of refill barrels have been used which is no bad thing, this allows the distillate to speak rather than have the cask dominate. 

This release is available from The Whisky Exchange for a paltry £44.95

Let’s Taste!

Nose: Sweet simple syrup, poached pear in dessert wine, vanilla cream, honey and a mixed of citrus peels. Malt, lemonade and boiled sweets. Some hay and a little spice of cinnamon and nutmeg. Some sawdust and wood sap too.

Palate: Follows the nose nicely. Light, fresh and sweet. Icing sugar, pear drops, banana, vanilla and malt. Caramel sauce. More citrus. There is mild spice and oakiness before trailing off into a grassy cereal note.

Finish: Medium length with malt, freshly cut hay and orchard fruit.

Score: 7 out of 10

Overall: This is a great little dram. Well balanced between nose and palate, nuanced enough to keep you interested and engaged and very well presented. It also offers very good value for money. Recommended and well worth exploring especially if you haven’t considered the distillery before.

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