Glencadam has gone a little extra for this whiskey, which they call American Oak Reserve. The Master Distiller has been on a trip to Kentucky to personally handpick the absolute best bourbon casks he could find. The casks were then sent to Scotland where they were filled with Glencadam’s good, fruity spirit and laid to rest for many years. The best of these casks have been bottled as American Oak Reserve – a whiskey that has already been awarded 98 points (!) at the IWSC and gold medals at both The Scotch Whiskey Masters and the International Spirits Challenge.
Colour: Grain gold.
Scent: The scent is a breathtaking concoction of vanilla pods, buttercream, yellow raisins and Turkish delight.
Tasting notes: The taste is slightly sweet and fruity, with notes of honey, pears, apple blossom and citrus peel.
Serving suggestion: Enjoy it plain.
Glencadam, with its distinctive red chimney, is located in Brechin, as one of the few surviving distilleries in the East Highlands. The distillery was built in 1825 – not long after a new Excise Act in 1823 made distillation legal on a larger scale in Scotland. Since 2003 the distillery has been owned by Angus Dundee, and since 2005 the distillery has been running 24/7. However, not much has changed in the production method at Glencadam. You still have a mash tun made of cast iron and two pot stills, which are designed in a way that gives a quite light and elegant spirit. The two original dunnage warehouses from 1825 are still in use.
Only a limited portion of the whiskey is still bottled as single malt, as the vast majority of production is used in blends. Angus Dundee owns, among other things, the brands Scottish Royal, Glen Parker and The Dundee, and one must assume that a large proportion of these is Glencadam. Fortunately, there is also a renewed focus on single malt – especially since Angus Dundee took over. In 2016, the entire core range was reformed. Glencadam neither chill filters nor colors the whiskey with caramel.
