Review by: The Muskox

While I do have samples of the rest of the 2021 Special Releases on hand (apart from that Lagavulin 26), I figured I should get through my samples of the 2020s first. Cardhu is an important component of many of the Johnnie Walker blends, and as such doesn’t often appear as a single malt beyond its standard 12-year-old release. This cask-strength release will hopefully provide an interesting glimpse into its delicate style.

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Distillery: Cardhu.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 55.1%, cask strength.

Age: 11 years old. Bottled in 2020.

Cask type: Ex-Bourbon American Oak Hogsheads.

Color: Straw. No colour added, un-chillfiltered.

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Nose: Confectionary-sweet and pretty ethanol-ish. Marshmallows, powdered sugar, macarons. Gingerbread. Orange zest, banana, and ripe yellow apples. Floral and slightly grassy, in a young-whisky sort of way. A bit dusty.

Palate: Medium texture, some heat and slightly oily. Sweet-tart and fragrant on the arrival, with honey, coconut, and very rich citrus oil. Sweet malty flavours of lemon squares, banana muffins, and powdered-sugar donuts. Sweet herbal tea, fragrant rich oak, and mineral on the development. A bit of spearmint and some thai basil.

Finish: Medium-long and sweet with lingering oiliness. Dry oak, dried flowers, and dandelion stems. Powdered sugar. Gingerbread, banana bread, and orange bitters. Clean laundry. Sweet sandalwood and basil. Slightly oily-bitter as it fades.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Post-brunch backyard weeding excursion”

Notes: This one took several glasses to grow on me. It started pretty young and hot, especially on the nose, but there’s an oily weightiness that comes in on the finish that emerged on successive glasses. Some nice confectionary and heavy floral-herbal notes in there as well. Still, for me it just seems a bit on the too-young side overall.

Final Score: 79.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.