Glencadam 10 was my vote for best whisky at Whisky Fringe 2022. Sure, there was more ‘special’ stuff on offer at the Fringe, but the crisp, fruity, and tart profile of Glencadam is simply delicious; and unchillfiltererd, at natural colour, and 46% ABV, the 10yo offers unbeatable value at ~€40. A clue to as to why: Glencadam is an independently owned distillery, bought in 2003 by Angus Dundee after a period of mothballing.
Despite my praise for Glencadam, I have quite little nose-on experience with this Speyside distillery beyond my Fringe revelations. Today, we rectify this situation. For some weeks now I have been eyeing a pair of luxurious old Glencadams from Gordon & MacPhail, a 27yo and a 29yo, both ex-bourbon casks (my kinda thing). The price points are quite steep (€260 and €300 a bottle, respectively), although this is not so crazy given the current state of the whisky market, unfortunately.
Luckily, in my quest to exhaustively click through the online whisky inventory of Germany, I stumbled 4cl samples of these single cask bottlings! The younger as part of a €54,90 Glencadam tasting set (6 x 4cl), and the other for €22,90 (4cl). When hundreds of euromonies are on the line, we like to try before we buy.
With today’s tasting I’m asking:
Which of the two expressions is best?
Will I buy a bottle?
Review: Glencadam 27yo
Type: Single malt / Single cask
Bottled by: Gordon & MacPhail
Age / vintage: 27 / 1994
ABV: 49.9%
Cask type: Refill American hogshead
Unchillfiltered/Nat. Colour: Yes
Typical price: €260 (Germany, July 2023)
WhiskyBase ID: WB206032
Review sample: 4cl sample
Experience ⚡
Nose: Lots of tropical fruits (mango, papaya), both over- and underripe; some fresh citrus and earthiness (petrichor) besides. There is a clear oak presence that gives a slightly resinous impression in conjunction with the unripe fruit notes, but not out of balance. More fleeting notes of fragrant rice, black pepper, basil, and solvent dance around.
The palate is quite sweet, with luscious fruits, and there is weight to the spirit; mildly pungent even a little ashy. Some thyme and dried oregano in the early finish, but the fruits win out in the end. Adding water dulled down the tropical fruits and was not an improvement for me.
Thoughts 💡
A great dram, quite assertive with its fruits and robust spirit, yet also many delicate notes to explore. I believe enjoying a bottle over time, with some significant oxidization, might bring an elevated experience. As for this single sample, it falls a little short of being one of the more memorable in its category for me.
Quality Spirit ⭐ | Premium💰
Review: Glencadam 29yo
Type: Single malt / Single cask
Bottled by: Gordon & MacPhail
Age / vintage: 27 / 1994
ABV: 53.9%
Cask type: Refill bourbon barrel
Unchillfiltered / Nat. Colour: Yes
Typical price: €300 (Germany, July 2023)
WhiskyBase ID: WB181239
Review sample: 4cl sample
Experience ⚡
The close relation to the ’94 is clear, but the ripe tropical fruits are less prominent; instead, tart passion fruit, grapefruit and lemon sorbet. More presence of vanilla, even a touch of cinnamon and some green peppercorn. The taste is musty, salty-sweet and full of delicious fruits, lingering in the finish.
Thoughts 💡
Also a great dram, with a tastier palate but amore restricted note as compared to the ’94. At €300 it’s not an easy sell, however, as more memorable experiences can be had for just over half the price.
Quality Spirit ⭐ | Premium💰
In the end I really enjoyed both drams, as I love tropical fruit flavours, but I’m coming to realize that I’m more captivated by delicate and crispy Speysiders, than mustier, fruit-punch profiles. I’ll hold onto my cash, and splash it on something a bit more unique. The samples did me well, as I probably would’ve bought the ’94 on hope otherwise!
Another benefit is that I’m now sitting on another 5 Glencadam samples to look forward to in another review…
DuckDrams 
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