Glencadam 7 Years Old 2011 Cask #800105 (van Wees)

A 7 year old Glencadam from van Wees, distilled in 2011, from cask 800105, at 46%, one of 334 bottles. Glencadam is a Highland single malt, long a blending malt and now bottled as a single malt in its own right. Its water comes from Loch Lee in the Cairngorms, piped down through the River Esk catchment. The distillery markets itself on a deliberately delicate house style, all orchard and tropical fruit. It became a core malt of the Ballantine's blend after Hiram Walker bought it in 1954.

Distilled from unpeated malt, 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. Young and extractive, the cask sheds vanillin and toasted sugars over the clean, fruity spirit. First fill wood drives the maturation, the cask clear in the light spirit. Maturation runs slow and even in the cool, racked Highland warehouses.

Bottled at 46%, it is light and creamy. Pear, apple and a soft cream, lifted by a soft oak. A light orchard fruit and a soft spice give it shape. The finish is rounded, fruity and clean. This is Glencadam's creamy, fruity Highland character.