Over to Glencadam for what sounds like a saccharine pick-me-up. Matured in a 1st fill ex-bourbon hogshead for 8 years, but still possessing an eye-opening ABV of 63.4%.
Nose: Highly citric and sweet. Lemon curd, lemon gel and preserved lemon alongside meringues, well-whipped cream and Bird’s custard. Notes of air-freshener and washing powder take the lemon further by melding it with floral asides – peony and cut grass. Reduction expresses a clean and crisp profile with press sheets, newly-spun cotton alongside bubblegum fruitiness.
Taste: Lemon cordial, lychee and yellow jelly babies provide an enjoyable, if rather sweet opener. Simple syrup, and crème patisserie sit alongside milky cereals, whilst cut stems and grasses add a summery aside. Dilution reveals lemon barley water together with a combination of syrupy green (apple and pear) and white (melon) fruits.
Finish: Medium and still on lemons joined by light cask char and residue pepper.
I preferred this Glencadam with a dash of water – not to reduce its alcoholic bite – but rather to take the edge off of the sweetness levels, which feel a little bit too diabetic straight out of the bottle. Nevertheless, whatever your balancing point, there’s a fresh and crisp whisky here that would prove to be a sound opener to an evening.