Glencadam 10 year old was first released in 2008 by new owners Angus Dundee. It is unchillfiltered, naturally coloured and bottled at 46% ABV - a pleasingly high proof for a youngish whisky. It is matured exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels.
Nose: Light and fresh. Toffee and buttered popcorn mix it up with some yeasty malts, citrus (lemon curd?) and vanilla. There’s something rather steely here – almost akin to copper that hints at the relative youth of the whisky.
Taste: A sweet and sharp arrival with a pleasant mouthfeel. Alongside our buttery malts and toffee notes, there’s some earthy hay here and more oak spicing than was perceivable on the nose – salty and brininess run right through the heart of this whisky.
Finish: Medium in length and again highlighting salinity.
I do enjoy some salinity in my whisky and in that regard, Glencadam 10 year old gets a tick in my book. In others, it is perhaps a little too generic and doesn’t really highlight the distillery characteristics quite as much as you’d hope for. Overall though a solid entry-level whisky at around £35.