Glencadam 9 Years Old 2011 Cask #800113 (Signatory)

Signatory Vintage, the Edinburgh house that bottles at Edradour above Pitlochry, bottled this Glencadam, distilled in 2011, from cask 800113, at 46%, a festival cask. Glencadam is a gentle, fruity Highland malt of orchard and tropical fruit. Its single malts are bottled at 46 percent, without chill filtration or added colour. It became a core malt of the Ballantine's blend after Hiram Walker bought it in 1954.

It was drawn from a long fermentation, for a creamy, fruity make with real elegance. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, the American oak lending vanilla and a light honey. At an extractive age eugenol lends a clove note and lactones a coconut, the spirit light, fresh and fruity. Active wood frames the fruit without ever crowding the light Highland spirit. Because the upward lyne arms keep the spirit light, the cask shows clearly through the years. Long ageing turns the fresh pear towards tropical fruit, honey and a gentle spice.

At 46% it is smooth and fruity. A light orchard fruit and a green herb, lifted by a soft oak. A light orchard fruit and a soft spice give it shape. A fresh finish closes on pear and a soft oak. This is the gentle, fruity malt of the eastern Highlands.