Since 2001 Diageo are showcasing their enormous portfolio of distilleries in their Special Releases series. In the coming weeks we’ll cover here a few of the 2019 releases, starting today with this Cardhu 14 Year Old.

We don’t get to see too many Cardhus out there. There are the staple 12 Year Old and the Gold Reserve but outside these it’s quite rare, especially Cask Strength offerings where the last tone was released back in 2013.

This 14 Year Old Cardhu was matured in Amontillado sherry casks, 4,872 bottles were produced and bottled at 55% and the art work for it and the entire series is magnificent!

Cardhu 14 Year Old (Special Release 2019) (55%, £120/€139)

Nose: Sour fruits with a touch of nuttiness, honey, sweet barley, caramel and toffee. Then a bowl of fruits – pears, peaches and apples with sweet berries sauce, After a few minutes it develops a more nutty profile with cinnamon, cashew and almonds and eventually becoming herbal.

Palate: Sweeter and spicier than the nose, fruity with pears, citrus marmalade, followed by spices, sourness and herbal bitterness.

Finish: Medium length, bitter spices, sweet apples. pie dough and herbs.

Thoughts: This is a very interesting take of Cardhu. The Amontillado casks bestowed a sour-sweet fruitiness, a dash of nuttiness and somewhat bitter herbal tinge but the distillery Speyside  characteristics are still there with sweet fruitiness, toffee and a bit of malt. A very interesting and eyes opening Cardhu.