Cardhu 12 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distiller Details
Cardhu Distillery
Knockando, Speyside, Scotland
Website FacebookAwards & Recognition
- Double Gold - 2011 San Francisco Spirits Competition
- Silver Medal - 2010 San Francisco Spirits Competition
- Silver Medal - 2010
- 2011 International Wine & Spirit Competiton Awards
Price Range
Premium — $51–$100
Where to Buy
THL: What is it?
Cardhu 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is from Speyside region of Scotland. It was reintroduced in the USA in 2010.
THL: Why should you try it?
When John Walker & Sons (of Johnnie Walker fame) discovered Cardhu, they almost immediately purchased the company. Cardhu 12 Year Old is an excellent step up from Johnnie Walker for a reasonable price. The whisky is a party pleaser as it offers something for those who prefer their Scotch on the sweeter side with a bounty of fruit flavors, but also packs a healthy dose of peat for a smoky finish. The whisky is well-balanced and approachable, making it an ideal candidate for newcomers to the single malt world.
THL: Who makes it?
Cardhu Distillery was founded by a former whisky smuggler, John Cumming, who originally built the distillery on Mannoch Hill in Speyside. A new distillery was later built to support larger scale production which led to the subsequent purchase by Johnnie Walker and Sons. In 2003, due to Carhu’s massive popularity in Spain (Cardhu is Diageo’s best-selling single malt), the owner vatted the Cardhu single malt with two single malts from other distilleries to extend stocks, and marketed the whisky as “Cardhu Pure Malt”. This move cause quite the stir in the whisky community, and Diageo shut the project down, returning to the traditional Cardhu Single Malt Whisky.
THL: What does it taste like?
Cherry, smoke, pear, honey
THL: How should you drink it?
Try it neat first. Then add a drop of water to allow further expression of the fruit flavors.
