Cardhu 12 Years
Until 1983, the distillery was called Cardow, named after a nearby village. Nowadays known as Cardhu (Gaelic: Black Rock), the distillery produces the significant share for the Johnnie Walker blends. Of course, there are also their own bottlings, of which we have the 12-years standard bottling in the glass today.The Cardhu 12 Single Malt Scotch Whisky belongs to the Classic Malts of Scotland and is supposed to represent the character of the Speyside region of Scotland.
The panel
Mean 60.0 · spread 8
Value for money 3/5
- Distillery
- Cardhu
- Type
- Single Malt
- Region
- Speyside
- Country
- Scotland
- Age
- 12 years
- Strength
- 40% ABV
- Character
- delicate
Tasting
Nose
On the nose, the whisky brings the classic notes of a Speysider: Vanilla, caramel, apple and honey are dominant, while some nutty flavours lie in the background.
Palate
We taste very old, very old oatmeal biscuits, which make us think of the Kinder Country commercial from the 90s. Woody, bitter notes resonate. Slowly and viscously, a little caramel can be perceived and, with a little imagination, hazelnuts can also be found. We don't find the fruitiness from the nose.
Finish
Slightly bitter, slightly woody and with something strange on the palate, the single malt finishes with some warming spiciness.
Verdicts
Marcel
For the price, the Cardhu 12 feels somewhat uninspired – the nose promises more than the palate delivers. Instead of an enjoyable dram, you get a confusing mix of flavors that remind you more of a blender than a Speyside. There are far more interesting alternatives out there, even within the standard range.
Sascha
The Cardhu 12 shows classic Speyside notes on the nose, but on the palate it lacks the expected harmony and depth; the flavors come across as unbalanced and somewhat diffuse. For a 12-years standard release, the structure feels rather flat, and the finish disappoints with an unpleasant bitterness. Those who value balance will find better single malts in this price segment.
What it is worth
We do not yet hold bottle-level auction results — that sits behind Whisky Hunter’s authenticated feed. What follows is the market for Cardhu as a whole, which sets the weather for this bottling without pricing it.
Latest mean bid £86 across 83 lots · 2024-08