Today two little Glencadam ex-wine white OB vs red IB


January 17, 2025

WF’s Little Duos, today two little Glencadam ex-wine white OB vs red IB

Like a few others in Scotland, the Glencadam Distillery continues to offer us its encyclopaedia of the world’s wines, this time with a NAS version finished in white port casks. The Bordeaux merlot and Burgundy pinot noir versions gave us some amusement last year, but didn’t really win us over. Such bold red wines... That said, the most recent official 15-year-old releases have been rather magnificent.

Portugal's famous Pasteis de
Nata (Lilie Bakery)

Glencadam ‘Reserva de Porto Branco - White Port Finish’ (46%, OB, +/-2023)

Branco, in Portuguese, means blanco. I mean, white. Colour: light gold. Nose: it feels youthful, very fruity, with notes of ripe pears, tinned pineapple and melons, followed by yellow plums, before becoming slightly maltier. Was this predominantly Malvasia? A little straightforward but undeniably pleasant, with none of the dissonances you often encounter with red wine finishes. Mouth: initial impressions bring grapefruit skin and its distinctive bitterness, soon joined by juicier, sweeter citrus and those yellow plums, though not quite mirabelles. It stays fairly simple and not unpleasant, yet with an impression of premix or trans-blend – the Port influence is distinctly noticeable. Finish: medium in length and rather clean, with a bitter, spicier aftertaste. Comments: it’s quite enjoyable, though, as they say, I wouldn’t swap a bottle of their recent 15-year-old for two cases of this ex-Porto Branco, even with a plateful of pastéis de nata.
SGP:651 - 79 points.

Glencadam 2012/2022 (47.5%, Malts of Scotland, Innocent Dram, Amarone wine finish, cask #MoS 22041, 563 bottles)

Hehe, it’s amusing that our friends have named this ex-Amarone finish an 'Innocent Dram'. Are they fending off accusations, or is this a clever preemptive excuse? (Only joking!) Amarone, as you may recall, is a luscious, full-bodied Italian red wine crafted from partially dried grapes. Colour: golden apricot. Nose: the heavy influence of red wine is unmistakable, including the presence of the cask itself, yet it’s neither off-putting nor inelegant. In short, not necessarily a Glencadam reserved for pairing with pineapple pizza or Paprika Pringles. Wafts of ferns and wild strawberries emerge. Mouth: a highly distinctive combination, with notes of peppered strawberries and blood orange mingling with wine, lending it a certain sangria-like quality – but, of course, a particularly fine sangria. Dark honey steps in to provide additional roundness, nudging it slightly closer to a more traditional malt. Finish: long, peppery, with lingering strawberry and orange jam. Comments: a fun and quirky malt that would likely work splendidly in mizuwari… perhaps even with a Hawaiian pizza.
SGP:641 - 82 points.

Check the index of all Glencadam we've tasted so far