Cardhu Amber Rock – OB – 40% – NAS

Info: Cardhu’s newest expression has been double matured in toasted oak to develop flavours of vanilla and spice.

Colour: Full golden. Caramel? Fairly minimal if so.

Nose: Very fruity and sweet, vanilla caramel and slight new make notes. Buttery after a small time.

Palate: Smooth and easy, the low abv ensures that, it’s sweet, but not as much as the nose would lead you to think, in fact the sweetness turns nearly to sourness towards the end, due to the wood tannins. Definitely a little young, masked well enough but allowing some distillery character to come through. Very wee pinch of spices.

Finish: Tasty, fruity, but not overly long, small touch of smoke – probably from the casks, slight fresh grassy back note.

Thoughts: It’s a more than reasonable entry level dram, but not entirely spectacular. Quite a fair mouthfeel for something that’s chill filtered. 81.

Available: Royal Mile Whiskies – £42.95

Thanks to Cardhu for the sample.