Whisky: Cardhu 12 Year Old
Producer: Diageo
Distillery: Cardhu
Whisky Type: Single Malt (100% malted barley from one distillery)
Region: Speyside
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40%
Cask: ex-bourbon
Price Range: $$
Cardhu is a distillery founded in 1824 as “Cardow”, which in Gaelic means “Black Rock”. The distillery founders, John and Helen Cumming distilled illegally on the family farm until the daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Cummings, continued the family dynasty distilling in a plot adjacent to the original distillery. In 1893, Elizabeth sold Cardhu to Johnnie Walker & Sons, and it’s now part of the portfolio of classic malts from Diageo.
The Cardhu 12 was always known for being a single malt (made at one distillery with 100% malted barley). However, in 2003 Diageo decided to include other malts from other distilleries to keep up with demand (specifically in Spain, Italy, Greece, and France) and did not change the classification on the label as a blended malt (a combination of malts from different distilleries) and instead labeled it as a “Pure Malt”.
The Pure Malt classification was no longer used and was previously applicable to single malts or blended malts. As a result, other whisky producers (i.e., William Grant & Sons, owners of The Glenfiddich) called out Diageo for deceiving customers by not appropriately marketing and labeling its whisky. Diageo denied claims of trying to mislead customers, but in 2004 Diageo agreed to change the label and packaging to a different color label (green) for the Pure Malt to differentiate it from the brown label of Cardhu 12 single malt.
The Scotch Whisky industry kept pushing hard and Diageo had no choice but to discontinue the Pure Malt version of Cardhu in 2004 and re-introduce the old version in 2005.
Finally, in 2009 the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) changed the labeling rules for Scotch Whisky and banned the term “Pure Malt”. As a result of the controversy, sales of Cardhu Single Malt decreased by 40% between 2004 and 2010, but it is the best-selling single malt in Spain. The house style of Cardhu is light, smooth, and delicate. A very approachable, easy-to-drink sweet single malt.
Other versions of Cardhu include:
- Cardhu 15-Year-Old.
- Cardhu 18-Year-Old.
- Cardhu Gold Reserve. NAS. Aged in toasted oak barrels.
- Cardhu Gold Reserve Game of Thrones Edition. The House of Targaryen. Aged in sherry casks.
- Cardhu Amber Rock. NAS. Aged twice in ex-bourbon American Oak barrels.
Awards for Cardhu 12 Year Old:
- San Francisco World Spirits competition 2011. Double Gold.
- Speyside Single Malts up to 12yo – 2013. The Scotch Whisky Masters (The Spirits Business).
Tasting Notes for Cardhu 12 Year Old Single Malt:
This approachable single malt aged in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 40% ABV can please many palates because of its flexibility.
Nose: Caramel, fruits, and oak spices.
Palate: Sweet, caramel, and fruity arrival developing into pepper and oak spices that dominate the experience.
Finish: Short, sweet, warm, and oaky.
Conclusion: Don’t expect a trip to Narnia with this single malt. It is a simple, easy-to-drink, and good value option for those looking to get started in the single malt category. If you enjoy bourbon, this might be a malt to try. Slainte!
Score: 3/5⭐
Scotch Single Malts for Bourbon Aficionados: https://thewhiskyknights.com/three-scotch-single-malts/
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Legend
$50 or less $
$51-$100 $$
$101-$150 $$$
$151 or more $$$$
