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“Because you can't buy happiness... but you can buy whisky and that's pretty much the same thing”

Read stories about Cardhu of A Wardrobe of Whisky blog.

You can read here older articles posted in A Wardrobe of Whisky since 2009.
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FT: Talisker & Four want-to-be Single Malts

By Miguel in Tasting , Cardhu , Talisker

Muahahahah! Talisker and four jokes, I mean whiskies… This tasting doesn’t look interesting at all. In fact the best thing that Diageo could have done with Cardhu would have been close it after all the Pure Malt issue… at least their stock would be more valuable now. And nobody drinking Johnnie Walker would notice the change anyway…

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Another post for the Fucking thief. Stealing other persons’ whisky so you can know about it. Is this your photo? Write me to fthief@awardrobeofwhisky.com and I will pay you… homage… and share with A Wardrobe of Whisky’s readers your experience on the tasting. Slainte!

This one looks like take from a whisky show or something like that… anyway… who cares? Let’s taste them.

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Cardhu 15 years old: 3 years older, not so far from Cardhu 12 years old

By Miguel in Tasting , Cardhu

“Nicer than Cardhu 12 years old. Very faithful Cardhu... but a bit away of being great”

88
Cardhu 15 year

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (88): average. honey, vanilla, raisins, spices, citrus.

Palate (89): light. honey, pepper, vanilla, wood, spices.

Finish (88): average. honey, spices.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Cardhu 15 year with 88 points over 100.

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Cardhu 18 years old: Diageo is ripping-off my countrymen, again

By Miguel in Tasting , Cardhu

“Nice Cardhu. It isn't my favorite dram but it is better than the standard 12 years old expression”

88
Cardhu 18 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
A longer aged whisky from Cardhu, staying in the cask for 18 years for a richer and more complex flavour.

This dram has a amber-like color.

Nose (89): average. honey, pepper, vanilla, citrus.

Palate (88): light, oily. peat, honey, pepper, wood, citrus, floral.

Finish (87): longer than average. honey, pepper.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Cardhu 18 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky with 88 points over 100.

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TWE Whisky Show 2012 [Part 1]

By Miguel in Featured , Jameson , Glenlivet , Chivas , Johnnie Walker , Cardhu , The Balvenie , Talisker , Kavalan , Brora

Taking place during October, 6th and 7th, The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show is a fantastic, although expensive, experience that you can’t miss if like me you love single malt whiskies.

fun-that-way-twe-whisky-show-london-2012

Day One

Here I am! In London! For TWE Whisky Show. As Oliver Klimet from Dramming is also going to attend it we plan together a meeting in London for a few beers and nice british pub food at Lord Wargraves. Billy Abbot from The Whisky Exchange also join us.

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WhiskyLive Madrid 2011: A whisky show at Spain's heart

By Miguel in News , Featured , Destilerias Liber , Laphroaig , Lagavulin , DYC , Cardhu , St George , The Macallan , Compass Box , Glenfiddich , Highland Park , Bowmore , Suntory , Yamazaki , Redbreast , Edradour , Talisker

Taking place at the Madrid business center, at the Hotel Villamagna, this whisky fair, although small, has been really interesting with lots of surprises.

Hotel Villa Magna at Madrid

Before attending the show, I meet Richards Barr, a member of Whiskyisrael that was also attending the show and we went there together after having a tasty Spanish lunch.
Richard Barr and Miguel Angel Blanch after 25 drams of whisky at Whiskylive Madrid

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Cardhu 12 years old Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Cardhu
77
Cardhu 12 year
A well-balanced, gentle single malt from Speyside. Cardhu 12 is a very well put together malt.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (76): inexistent. sweet, honey, toffee, tropical fruits, oranges. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (80): . sweet, vanilla, some wood, a little honey, fruity and anises. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (76): no finish. spicy, vanilla, a bit wood and fruity: orange and pears. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Cardhu 12 year with 77 points over 100.

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Cardhu Special Cask Reserve 07.04 Tasting note

By Miguel in Tasting , Recommended , Cardhu

“Cardhu isn’t my favourity whisky but I have to agree that this one is really good. Really recommended.”

88
Cardhu Special Cask Reserve
Cardhu Special Cask Reserve is a single malt whisky from choosen casks each with an unique batch number which makes each bottle of Cardhu unique. A poorman single cask whisky.

This dram has a white-like color.

Nose (88): inexistent. sweet, honey, floral, vanilla, oranges and pears. First nosing data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Palate (88): . sweet, vanilla, fruity, wood. Bouquet data is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

Finish (88): no finish. wood and fruity, spicy, vanilla. Finish length is innacurate as the previous tasting sheet lacked of this field.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Cardhu Special Cask Reserve with 88 points over 100.

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Cardhu: Where Pure Malt died in Scotland

By Miguel in Featured , Cardhu
Cardhu distillery
Cardhu still house
Elizabeth Cumming

Cardhu is the most famous whisky in Spain and the soul in the Johnnie Walker Blended Whisky. It is also the responsible of one of the most polemic moves in the whisky industry: the Cardhu Pure Malt.

It is a Speyside distillery, near Archiestown, Morayshire. It has been called for many years Cardow. Cardhu whisky makes up an important part of the Johnnie Walker blended whisky.

Cardhu was founded by smugler John Cumming in 1824. It started as a farm distillery and worked as a seasonal basis harvest had been gathered. The distillery was run mainly by his wife, Helen Cumming, who sell the bottles to passers-by at their farm. When John died in 1846 he was succeeded by his son Lewis and Lewis’ Wife. The production was of 623 litres per week.

In 1885 the distillery was rebuilt on a new piece of land and run by Elizabeth Cumming, a daughter-in-law of Helen. The old stills were sold to William Grant who set up Glenfiddich with them. Now Cardhu was able to produce three times more whisky, much of it was bought by Johnnie Walker and Sons for their whiskies. On 1893, Elizabeth sold the distillery to Johnnie Walker on the condition that Cumming family would continue the day to day running of the distillery.

The distillery was expanded to four stills in 1897.

In 1960 most of the distillery was rebuilt: the still house, the mash house and the tun house.

It was the first single malt to be promoted by DCL.

Due to the increasing sales and the lack of stock Diageo decided to introduce Cardhu Pure Malt, a blended malt whisky, with an identical label and box to the single malt whisky. The move created so much controversy that Diageo had to take a step back and remove the product. The SWA ( Scotch Whisky Association ) wrote the rules about Scotch Whisky and banned forever the term pure malt as it was misleading.

Cardhu take its water from water springs in Mannoch Hill and the Lyne Burn. It uses unpeated malt from Burghead maltings and mature their stock mostly in refill ex-bourbon hogsheads.

It has now three wash stills and three spirit stills.

The production is around 2.3 million litres per year.

These are my bottles of Cardhu



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