CARDHU 12 years ~ SPEYSIDE, SCOTLAND

87/100 - The Distiller Score

DOUBLE GOLD - San Fransisco World Spirit Competition 2011

GOLD - Speyside Single Malts up to 12 years old - he Scotch Whisky Masters (The Spirits Business) 2014, 2013

SILVER - Speyside Single Malts up to 12 years old - he Scotch Whisky Masters (The Spirits Business) 2015

SILVER - International Spirits Challenge 2014

You may not have heard of Cardhu, but you've probably tasted it. It's a prime component of nearly all Johnnie Walker blended whisky. Europe, particularly Spain, had quite a taste for the single malt bottling. It is a single malt, distilled in pot stills from 100% malted barley, produced at one distillery and aged in barrels.

Nose - Lightly sweet with pear, apple, and a bit of charred oak.

Palate - Well-rounded and rich with more autumn fruits and a hint of distant peat.

Finish - Long and dry with toasted grain and warm smoke.

Cardhu is a Speyside distillery near Archiestown, Moray, Scotland, founded by the whisky smuggler John Cumming, and his wife Helen Cumming in 1824. The distillery is run by Diageo and the distillery's Scotch whisky makes up an important part of the Johnnie Walker blended whiskies. The word "Cardhu" derives from the Scots Gaelic Carn Dubh, meaning "Black Rock".