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KWM 2021 Whisky Calendar Day 3: Glencadam 10 Year Old

Posted on December 3, 2021

by Evan

Day four has arrived and it is time to open the door with that very same number on your 2021 KWM Whisky Calendar. Pull out the tube within you will find yourself holding the Glencadam 10-Year-Old.

If you are following along, you may remember that in yesterday’s blog post on the Tomintoul 16-Year-Old I had mentioned that Glencadam Distillery and Tomintoul are both owned by Angus Dundee Distillers. Unlike Tomintoul which is firmly planted within Speyside, Glencadam resides in the more all-encompasing Highland region. What makes the Highlands as a region so nebulous? A few things:

  • The Speyside region technically is within the Highlands of Scotland
  • The Highlands as a region contains most of the West Coast, East Coast, and North Coast of the Scottish mainland. Aside from Speyside in its center, The Lowlands in the South and the tiny dot of Campbeltown the Highlands are the Scottish Mainland.

So where in the Highlands in Glencadam? The distillery resides in the town of Brechin, near the East Coast of Scotland. It is about a 20-minute drive west of the town of Montrose and the East Coast and where the River South Esk flows into the North Sea. Glencadam’s nearest distillery neighbours are Fettercairn Distillery which is less than a 20-minute drive to the North and the relatively new Arbikie Distillery which is a 20-minute drive to the South and East.

Image from the Glencadam Distillery website

Glencadam distillery was established in 1825, soon after the Excise Act of 1823 made distilling legal. The distillery was purchased by a gentleman named David Scott in 1827 and held by he and then his family until 1891. Glencadam never had much of a name of it’s own in the whisky market during this time and was typically rented out to other distillers. During both World War I and II, the distillery was mothballed and warehouses on the property were used as barracks for soldiers. In 1954, Glencadam was purchased by Hiram Walker, a company which in turn was purchased by Allied Lyons in 1987. Allied Lyons changed its name in 1994 to Allied Domecq and in the year 2000, the company mothballed Glencadam. In 2003, Angus Dundee Distillers stepped in and purchased the distillery and revived it.

During its entire production life up until Angus Dundee took over, Glencadam had never been given its due as a Single Malt Scotch. It was prized by blenders but not once had it been allowed to showcase itself as an individual whisky. That finally changed in 2005 when Angus Dundee Distillers released the first ever official Glencadam Single Malt Scotch was released as a 15-year-old. The brand saw a more extensive launch in 2009 with a 10- and 21-Year-Old joining the 15. A few cask-finished expressions have been released since then as well including the newer Glencadam Reserva Andalucia, which is an Oloroso Sherry Butt finished non-age-stated bottling.

Today, we will be tasting the Glencadam 10-Year-Old. It has been a few years since I have tasted any of the official Glencadam lineup. I remember the 10 Year being clean and smooth with shortbread and biscuit notes. Let’s see how it tastes now, shall we?

Glencadam 10-Year-Old - 46%

Like most of Glencadam's core range, the 10 Year Old is predominantly matured in American Oak casks.

Evan’s Tasting Note

Nose: Lemon custard tarts, cotton candy, fruit salad with honeydew melon, canteloupe, bisected green grapes and pineapple bits, along with a glass of buttery Chardonnay to wash it all down.

Palate: Nicely creamy on the tongue with more cotton candy (the pink coloured kind, let's say), strawberry pop tarts, and a handful of smarties. Oh, and ruby red grapefruit juice served in a cup made from toasted oak staves with a mint sprig muddled in the bottom.

Finish: Short, but fruity and creamy and more than interesting enough to take another sip.

Comment: A crushable dram if there ever was one. Enough going on to keep it from being to simple but not a ponderous, complex mess. To me, this is one of those whiskies that you keep around to share. Just a sip and the company you keep is elevated!

Between this and the other Angus Dundee whisky we had yesterday, I am not sure which I prefer... How about you guys?

I will be back tomorrow for day number four!

Cheers,
Evan
evan@kensingtonwinemarket.com
Twitter and Instagram: @sagelikefool

This entry was posted in Store, Whisky, Tastings, Whisky Calendars, KWM Whisky Calendar 2021

 

 

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