Cardhu comes from one of the oldest of the Speyside distilleries, which have nestled in foothills near the River Spey for 200 years and the Cardhu range is an excellent representation of these Speyside whiskies. Known for its smooth, sweet-natured single malt whisky, the history of Cardhu’s rise to fame is to a large part told in the story of two determined women who were members of the founding family. Cardhu Gold Reserve is fruitier and warmer than the classic 12-year-old, its initial sweetness is cut by crisp orange zest followed by a subtle mineral dryness. It is a smooth, beautifully structured and well-paced Speyside malt with a rich texture and a balance of sweet fruit, dark chocolate, toffee and spice. Cardhu Gold Reserve is a great choice as a sweeter aperitif. Beautifully presented in gold luxurious packaging, Cardhu Gold Reserve makes the perfect gift for any whisky lover.
APPEARANCE
BODY
It is a smooth, beautifully structured, and well-paced Speyside malt with a rich texture and a balance of sweet fruit, dark chocolate, toffee, and spice.
NOSE
Toffee and apple notes.
PALATE
Fairly dry with biscuity oak and a little cinnamon.
eview 122 21st April 2021
Its still April, so we bring to you another Speyside Whisky review in our mini series.
From a sample purchased in a tasting pack from Masters of Malt, we are reviewing Cardhu Gold Reserve single malt whisky, bottled at 40%, this Diageo owned brand is the 'budget' offering from the core range of whiskies. It is chill filtered and colour adjusted. Matured in toasted casks, it is a widely available single malt, a few places that it can be found which were used for the average price calculation are:
Masters of Malt £33.94
The Whisky Exchange £37.95
Tesco £37.50
Amazon £26.00
Giving an average price of £33.60, as a non age statement whisky it achieves a value score of 78.66 out of 100. When we did our research we found it for £42 in Morrisons and £45 in Waitrose! Horror! You have to price check before commiting to buy.
Diageo don't say a lot about this whisky, instead comparing it to the 12 year old.
They say it has flavours of Toffee and Apple with a malty biscuit note and that is pretty much it.
On the nose, it is suprise suprise Toffee and Apple! It initially noses very similar to the Glenlivet Caribbean reserve but without that something extra (being the rum). This is not an expressive nose. The alcohol wasn't noticable and no spice could be detected.
On the palate, it is the same, it is pear and toffee, maybe some apple shows up with a little spice on the finish. The texture has a small amount of oil, but the overall experience is a watery one. It has a slight sweetness with a delicate flavour, no bold flavours or memorable notes.
If you like a very easy drinking whisky that offers no challenge then this could be for you, however we wouldnt buy a bottle, instead we would recommend the Glenfiddich 12 year old.
For an overall score we give this 81 out of 100.