Glencadam 10yo
Official Bottling | 46% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Passing as civil and well-mannered without becoming something of a cliché
Keep Things Simple is the Best Policy
Note to self: proceed with caution on this one, Earie. I know for a fact that this particular whisky is held in very high regard by some of my esteemed colleagues here at Dramface, so being less than respectful to it is simply not an option – not if I want to avoid the righteous wrath of a hardened Glaswegian or two (are there any other, I wonder?).
Joking aside, Glencadam showcases rather well the rising appeal of single malt scotch whisky in recent times. For years, Glencadam seemed like yet another overlooked distillery – seldom did you see people raving about it, and it never seemed to get much attention among pundits. It was never the centre of attention, nor were their products serviced with big, flashy marketing campaigns.
Despite it being one of Scotland’s older distilleries – founded in 1825, the same period as some of its more celebrated contemporaries including the likes of Macallan, Mortlach, Ben Nevis and Glendronach – Glencadam seemed to lurk in the shadows. Even a decade ago, it was one of those ‘if you know, you know’ distilleries. But then, gradually, a shift occurred and whisky drinkers started to take notice. This was partly due to online reviewers such as Ralfy singing its praises, and also because it started to pick up plaudits from the whisky community and word started to spread.
Instead of spending gazillions of pounds on flashy marketing campaigns set up to try and make people believe just how precious and collectible whisky can be, or going to great lengths to rebrand the product to appeal to the modern day consumer (whoever that may be), the team at Glencadam just minded their own business, did what they do best and got on with the job at hand. They stuck with rather traditional branding and labelling, and used terms like ‘the rather delicate’ or ‘the rather dignified’ to pretty much do the talking for them.
In a time when the whisky enthusiast is spoiled for choice, many distillery owners have been – and are – investing fortunes on campaigns to try and make us sit up and take notice any which way they can, and the fact that Glencadam’s visitor centre is still a work in progress perhaps illustrates where Angus Dundee sets its priorities.
The best bit being: it works! People have discovered Glencadam and its expressions, first and foremost because they enjoy them. Offering a fairly affordable core range, putting quality up front, and making sure the bottles are widely available so people can actually buy them goes a long way, it seems.
“focus on the whisky? Why? Everyone loves packaging and stories”
Perhaps this no-nonsense approach to whisky making comes from a firm reminder that around 20 years ago, just before the whisky market began to take off again, things weren’t looking too rosy for the eastern Highlands distillery.
In a region that was once thriving and buzzing with whisky activity, at the end of the previous century Glencadam was rapidly turning into the Last Of The Mohicans. North Port turned into a shopping centre, Glenesk is ancient history, as is Lochside. A bit further up north, even Glenurie Royal was axed during the whisky loch of the 1980s to be converted into flats.
So when then owners Allied Domecq mothballed the place in 2000, there were fears Glencadam would be the next in line for the chop. However, Angus Dundee stepped in and took over the distillery and revived its fortunes in 2003. Almost immediately, they began to alter the course of Glencadam by introducing age-stated single malt whiskies, as up until that point the distillery had mostly been producing malt for blends.
Building a core range that now spans a wide range of whiskies, from a NAS, 40% ABV entry level expression all the way to a 25yo, it’s fair to say Glencadam now caters across the board for beginners and more seasoned enthusiasts alike. And while you can now find a few richer style sherry and port cask matured/finished expressions in their portfolio, many agree that at its heart, Glencadam is a soft, delicate spirit and one that works extremely well when left to mature in refill bourbon casks.
Review
2020 release, natural colour, un chill-filtered, 46% ABV
£35-£40 and widely available
Nose
Light, floral and delicate, with apple compote and pears, soft notes of vanilla and a whisper of coconut. Unripe banana, icing sugar and something creamy – custard with a hint of lemon, some honey and a cereal. There’s also a bread note.
Palate
Citrus and apples, again that floral element which turns slightly grassy and herbaceous. A mild spiciness translates into soft oak and a shy salty note, making for a dry, medium full body. This then goes into a pleasantly long finish showcasing a nice balance between the fruit and spices, with a soft cereal note at the very end.
The Dregs
If you’re looking to get a kick in the teeth from your whiskies, you may not need to bother with this one. There’s nothing overwhelming here. It’s quite possibly the exact opposite of extravagant, almost understating itself. It’s not loud and doesn’t shout or scream for attention, nor is it bold or lusciously, extravagantly rich. What it is though, is beautiful, elegant, rewarding and dignified. As I type this, it dawns on me that I’m repeating the exact same words Glencadam tends to write on their labels: words like ‘elegant’, ‘dignified’, and ‘delicate’. When a whisky is presented like this, who am I to try and put some extra bells and whistles on it?
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EA
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