Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 56%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon refill and first fill, Virgin American Oak
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: Diageo
Average price: € 89.00
Official website: www.malts.com
Vote: 84/100
After trying it in the Game of Thrones version and with the 12yo flask waiting for me on the shelf, here at last is a cask strength version of Cardhu in the guise of the 2020 Special Release.
Compared to last year’s, which was aged more in a blend of ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks, the one I’m getting a sample of is shown in an all-Bourbon guise with a virgin cask component. Playing with new oak casks is always a bit of a risk for scotch, for a whisky as delicate as this will it be a gamble or a winning move?
Here you can find the list of all 2020 releases.
Tasting notes
Straw yellow with copper highlights in the glass.
Floral and fruity on the nose with tones of lime, peach, green apple, tangerine, vanilla, wet cereal, honey, splash of lime. Base of freshly cut grass and a caress of wood. Fresh and full at the same time, with youthfulness becoming more of an asset than a limit.
The alcoholic bite warms the spirits and tends to overload the palate, with the citrus components becoming more pronounced on a bed of ripe fruit (again peach, apple, pear, pineapple) and grains, with plenty of honey and a vague menthol component. Hint of hazelnuts. The sweeter, creamier aspect ends up in the background, with wet wood in the background.
Medium-long finish of hazelnuts, wood, lemon, honey.
Compared to the other whiskies in the series, it probably lacks a little complexity and depth, but it’s still a solid, non-trivial whisky that brings out the characteristics of the distillery that are usually overlooked in the basic bottlings.