It has a unique code system where the first number refers to the distillery and the second refers to the cask from which the bottle comes. SMWS also offers the largest range of distilleries of any independent bottler. These curiously named drams really do have something for every whisky lover!
The SMWS are one of the Britain's most revered independent bottlers with a worldwide network of partner bars with one mission of getting as much whisky at natural cask strength without water to different nations including USA, Canada, Switzerland, UK, Austria, Germany and many others.
Fragrant roses, lavender and carnations merged with strawberry jelly and vanilla sponge cake topped with icing sugar, white chocolate and marshmallows. The prickle of wasabi and pickled ginger on the palate led us towards quince jelly, hazelnut fruitcake and shortbread, with choux buns and fresh pine wood on the finish. With water came crystalised lemon, orange and kiwi fruit before strawberries and gooseberries joined green apples, cut grass and candyfloss on an oak stick. Flavours now embraced honey, toffee and coconut cream with lemon drizzle cake and cloudy apple juice rolling into delicious cream soda at the very end.
About Glencadam
Despite nearing 200 years of existence, Glencadam is only now beginning to emerge as a celebrated single malt.
Glencadam’s new make character of flowers and pear drops is a direct result of a distillation regime that maximises reflux – the lyne arms on the stills are angled upwards. Its mature character, especially when matured in refill American oak, has a soft buttery quality that adds a silkiness to the palate.
Glencadam, which is situated in the Burgh of Brechin, was built in the era of optimism that followed the passing of the 1823 Excise Act. After passing through a number of owners, it became part of the estate of Glasgow blender Gilmour Thompson & Co which bought the distillery in 1891.
The blending house ceased trading in 1954 when Glencadam was sold to Canadian distiller Hiram Walker, which was then starting its first acquisitive sweep through Scotland. Through a process of amalgamation it became part of Allied Distillers and was seen as being the ‘home’ of the Dundee blend Stewart’s Cream of the Barley.
Allied mothballed the plant in 2000 but it was purchased three years later by London-based Angus Dundee [see Tomintoul]. Angus Dundee’s blending lab is now located at the distillery.
A quiet player for most of its existence, Glencadam is slowly emerging as a single malt in its own right. Its recent proprietary bottlings have not been chill-filtered or caramel tinted.
