Cardhu 11 Year (2020 Special Release)

Review #070 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 56% Comments: aged 11 years, matured in ex-bourbon American Oak hogsheads Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Golden straw color. Swirling reveals a thin line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form. Nose: 17/20 Very sweet and fruity with crisp apples, soft juicy pears, and tart pineapple. There’s also just a little sawdust and cinnamon also to help round it out. Palate: 36/40 Really enjoyable full mouthfeel. Sweet here again with honey, apples, apricots, toasted almonds, white pepper, and some spicy oak tannins. Finish: 34/40 Medium-long finish. Grain cereal and cinnamon, gradually a bit sweeter with honey and lemon pastries, then slighter bitter oak notes to end. With Water: A few drops of water adds a mild saltiness to the nose and a slight floral edge. Caramel and lemon citrus are now added to the palate, and some dark chocolate helps to kick off the finish. Total: 87/100 Final thoughts: This was a nice treat, I haven’t been able to try many Cardhu expressions, but this one is by far the best from my limited experience. The Diageo special releases are polarizing, but I rather enjoy them. Sure, some fall flat on their faces, but others are absolute gems that take the distillate in a whole new direction and reveal another side of their character, and that is the category that I think I’d place this bottle in. Recently I think these special releases have gotten a bit too pricy for a gamble on an entire bottle, but I love that they produce cask strength very unique expressions that are always at least worth trying. This one got me looking around at retail prices and it seems to still be sparsely available for around $100, give or take. If I stumbled across one for that price I’d most likely grab it, but I don’t know that I love it enough to specifically order it and also pay shipping costs. Thanks to my brother @Mark-Watson2 for the sample. Price: gifted sample Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Nose: Crisp citrus and green apple. Light oak wood in the background with fleeting notes of honeysuckle and spring garden flowers. Over time as it rests in the glass the nose becomes more rounded and honeyish. Reduction tones down the aromas and reveals gristy cereal but don’t add too much water as it will quickly dull the nose. Palate: The arrival is sparkly and bracing with almost effervescent lemon and grapefruit notes. Spicy tannins and white pepper appear quickly and lead into a development which is a little sweeter, but also strong on unripe fruit (green banana, tart apple, sour pineapple). It’s a palate profile that is pure and crisp to the point of rawness, and the texture is good but somewhat overshadowed by citric tension. Adding water softens the palate but you need to add a lot to bring out malty notes and by the time this has been achieved the whisky is too dilute and has become a little brackish. Finish: Medium. Light lemon zest, bitter cacao and wheat beer. Water sweetens the aftertaste. A brisk, nervous single malt that has admirable purity but is a little too spiky for my palate. It’s like a coiled spring and while I appreciated the honesty of its bright unsherried and unpeated character I also thought it was a little unrelenting. I enjoyed it more with water but it was hard to find a happy point of reduction as the palate needed a lot more dilution than the nose. Technically this is an excellent single malt but it is not an easy ride. I recently reviewed the 22 year old Benriach Dark Rum Cask here and the difference between that and this dram is enormous. Both are very good whiskies that I have given the same rating, but where the Benriach is an Yves Saint Laurent smoking jacket this is a Versace bondage dress. Tasted from a 30ml sample. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Maybe my palate is evolving but I increasingly find myself passing over the peaty or sherried whiskies for fruiter pasture. Whatever the reason, I may prefer this Cardhu a smidgen to the Talisker and Lagavulin contributions to the Diaego 2020 special releases. The nose is warm honey, malt and apple. In the mouth it’s oily with flavors of red apples and nutmeg. The finish takes a turn to spiced chocolate. A surprisingly strong showing for this workhorse distillery.

Burst of bakey, woody aroma as you open the bottle. Settles down with warm waterfruit notes and hot pepper when poured in a glass. Full bodied on the palate, hints of melon and grapefruit with a strong kick of white pepper. The Pepper is predominate on the finish too; probably the more admirable quality of this whisky.

Nose: 4.25/5 banana, orange, tropical fruit, banana ice cream Palate: 4/5 sweet, banana Finish: 3/5 short but strong Adding water gives more banana