Whisky : Cardhu 16 Year SMWS 106.13 “A delicate Cumberland pudding of a malt”

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 54.4%

Cask : Oak

Age : 16 Year (Distilled 1979, Bottled 1996)

Nose : Perfumed fruit blossom, waxy citrus, and menthol. Loads of subtle orange, apple, and pear blossom called to mind scented candles and laundry detergent before transitioning toward tropical hibiscus and morning glory. Subtle hints of burning candle wicks, honey, and brown sugar brûlée. Fresh and green like crisp, clean mountain air.

Palate : Mellow and waxy with notes of fruit, pastries, and oak. A bowl brimming with apple slices covered in sugar and cinnamon, graham cracker crust, and salty-buttery pastry dough. Sweet memories of apple pie baking faded to toasted sugars as a mild astringency built with time. Toward the end were herbal notes of thyme, sage, and mint along with a mellow bitter oak.

Finish : Lingering pastry crust, salt, and slight bitterness.

Score : 7

Mental Image : Apple Pie Prep

Notes : If you look up Cardhu on Whiskybase, you will notice an absolute dearth of Cardhu released by independent bottlers. There are maybe three dozen, and about half of those were by SMWS without any new releases after 2012. Diageo does not seem keen to share Cardhu any longer. If someone is still releasing it, they must not be allowed to use the distillery name and have kept the origin of their mystery malt obscured enough that releases have never been tagged as Cardhu on Whiskybase.

This Cardhu was an older SMWS, one of a handful that a member of our local whisky club had on hand and allowed us to pour at a couple of tastings during the brief window we could meet earlier this year. This whisky was intriguing as it is not often I get to try something older than me or released almost a quarter-century ago. The world was a lot simpler in 1996— and I am sure this was a lot cheaper.

Overall, this was my introduction to Cardhu. I had never tried the distillery before, but I quickly followed up with some of the recent Diageo Special Releases to compare them. The flavor profile of this bottle was interesting, with loads of really mellow subtle floral notes; I loved how the bit of oaky-herbal bitterness at the end contrasted with the sweet apple at the beginning. The waxy mouthfeel and the complexity of the nose made this enjoyable to sip over a long period.

I did not find this altogether that different from the Cardhu Special Releases. A lot of the same elements were present, even the lovely contrast between sweet and bitter. While I did not expect them to be terribly different, I was a bit surprised at how consistent they appear to have been over the last three or four decades.