Glencadam Origin 1825 is the distillery's first foray into no age statement whisky. Released in 2016, it takes its name from the year that the distillery was founded. The bottling is a marriage of American white oak ex-bourbon barrels with Spanish Oloroso sherry butts and is bottled at 40% ABV.
Nose: A nicely pronounced combination of sweet fruits and malts. Mixed red berried and tropical fruit notes are livened by honeycomb and a heavy dose of vanilla. At the heart there is a real maltiness, at the edges, earthy spice and delicate florals. The sweetness here reminds me somewhat of the nose of a grain whisky.
Taste: The immediate arrival is a lot less expressive than the nose, and alas also fairly thin. However, this is improved greatly after a period of resting – surprisingly so. The taste is less malty and much more fruity than the nose – pineapples and bananas take centre stage alongside some apple notes (perhaps apple crumble) and a vanilla custard.
Finish: Short to medium with some peppery wood notes coming across.
I rather enjoyed the fresh and lively nose of the Glencadam Origin 1825, however the taste unfortunately doesn’t follow through quite so successfully. That said, at a shy over £25 it’s well priced for a unchallenging everyday style whisky.