Glencadam Riserva Di Amarone

This official Glencadam, at 46%. Glencadam is a gentle, fruity Highland malt of orchard and tropical fruit. It became a core malt of the Ballantine's blend after Hiram Walker bought it in 1954. Its water comes from Loch Lee in the Cairngorms, piped down through the River Esk catchment. It was founded in 1825 by the merchant George Cooper, soon after the Excise Act made licensed distilling viable.

It was taken gently through wash and spirit stills, building a soft malt of orchard fruit and a creamy sweetness. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanillin and a soft coconut under the malt. Without an age statement, a fresh pear note and vanilla point to good years in cask. Because the upward lyne arms keep the spirit light, the cask shows clearly through the years. First fill wood drives the maturation, the cask clear in the light spirit. Maturation runs slow and even in the cool, racked Highland warehouses.

Reduced to 46%, it is mellow and fragrant. A light orchard fruit and a green herb, lifted by a soft oak. Beneath it run pear, apple and a soft cream. A fresh finish closes on pear and a soft oak. This is a gently fruity, creamy Highland malt.