Glencadam 15 Year Old Highland Single Malt 700 ml

Description:

Glencadam’s 15 year-old expression, like most of its releases, is aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks to retain the distillery character. The whisky is not chill-filtered and has no added coloring, and is bottled (now) at 46% ABV.

Nose: Perfumed, and very floral. Rosewater, lilac, orange blossom, honeysuckle. Next, a wave of green banana, lime salt-water taffy, and kiwi. Exceedingly delicate, and all of the individual notes are ephemeral and fleeting. Underneath the perfume notes is a very thin foundation: very pale malt, mineral water, and banana leaves.

Palate: Medium body, not quite syrupy. A moderate tongue burn is followed by densely sweet honey, fondant, and buttercream frosting. Rosewater, again, with pistachio and nougat. Despite all the sugary notes, it is not cloying.

Finish: Medium-short. Still sweet, with a reprise of some of the floral notes from the palate (nice to see those come full-circle). Fades slowly with pear pastilles, bubblegum, and no bitterness at all.