Glencadam 10 Years Review

Country: Scotland 

Region: Highland - Eastern

Brand: Glencadam

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 10 Years

ABV: 46 %

Colour: Light Gold

Nose: When I opened the miniature and had a quick smell I immediately got lots of tasty Malt. When Nosing the Glencadam in the glass however, I got something completely different. Strawberry Flavoured Mushrooms in a Plastic Container! Yes, I know it sounds weird but that was my first impression. No wonder I'm not too excited about the Nose of this Glencadam. When that first impression fades away there's more of course so give this Single Malt some time to open up. After a little while I got Grass/Straw, Malt/Grains, Lemon, Oak, Vanilla, Honey, Spice, Mint, Alcohol and hints of Orange and Tangerine. Quite some influence from the Ex-Bourbon Cask I would say although the Colour is rather light. But all in all there's room for improvement in this department!

Palate: Better than I expected after Nosing but nothing to get really excited about. First comes Creamy Sweet Malt quickly followed by Oak, Wood Spice, Lemon, Vanilla, Coffee, Orange and a bit of Mint. 

Finish: Short, Sweet and Spicy with Malt, Grains, Vanilla, Oak, Black Pepper, Coffee, Nuts, Mint, Orange and a touch of Cassis Liqueur. 

With a bit of Water, the Nose becomes lighter, even fragile but also more delicate with Malt, Honey, Grass and Citrus. But Palate and Finish do not accept Water very well despite the high ABV.

Rating: 80

Nose: 19.5 - Taste: 20.5  - Finish: 20  - Overall: 20

General Remarks: The Glencadam Distillery is located in Brechin (Angus) close to the (small) river Esk. The Distillery was built in 1825. Since 1954 it was subsequently owned by Hiram Walker, Ballantine's, and Allied Distillers and was mainly used in Blends like Ballantine's, Teacher's and Cream of the Barley. It was mothballed in 2000 and things looked bad until Angus Dundee Distillers bought it in 2003 and brought it back to Single Malt status although it's still used in many Blends as well. The Glencadam 10 was first released in 2008. It is unchillfiltered and no colouring is added. It matures in ex Bourbon Casks. The Distillery calls its whisky " The Rather Delicate Highland Malt". It is believed that this is the result of the fact that the pipes of the Pot Stills run upwards at an angle of 15 degrees instead of downwards as usually is the case. Glencadam 10 Years is not too expensive at around 40 US Dollars.  

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: First of all I believe that this Distillery is going into the correct direction. Good ABV, no colouring and unchillfiltered. That counts for something. But what I most of all like in a good Single Malt are Character, Complexity and Balance. I can't find neither of those in this Glencadam in sufficient quantities. Too much Malt, Oak and Spices in the lead for my taste. I wouldn't call it a "Rather Delicate Highland Malt". But if you like a Malty and Spicy flavour profile, the Glencadam 10 might just be what you're looking for as it's certainly reasonably priced. And the Cassis Liqueur is a nice touch towards the end of the Finish. My advice: Taste it first before buying a full bottle!

Jan van den Ende                                                                      June 8, 2013