A trio of official Glencadams


October 28, 2026

A trio of official Glencadams

We are very pleased to see more Glencadam in its ‘natural’ state again, without too many extraneous flavours from finishing casks. Or, rather, from their previous contents…

Glencadam 15 yo (46%, OB, +/-2026)

‘Matured exclusively in bourbon barrels’, they say on the label, which we feel deserves a thunderous round of applause. Colour: pale gold. Nose: terrific, with apples, chartreuse, fennel, green pears, fresh barley and a packet of bubblegum. Mouth: marshmallows and unfiltered apple juice, followed by more lemon and angelica. Excellent, with a lovely, slightly oily, even waxy texture. Finish: long, with a thunderous return of the pear. Comments: fruity and excellent, in a slightly ‘Lowlands’ style. I hope they will forgive me for writing that.
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Glencadam 2016/2026 (62.4%, OB for 50th Anniversary of Kirsch Import, first fill bourbon, cask #2591, 238 bottles)

Let us rejoice, as everything is looking promising here... Colour: chardonnay. Nose: similar to the 15-year-old, at least on the surface, as the alcoholic strength seems to be holding back this baby’s irrepressible expressiveness a little (eh?). With water: Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit chewing gum by the tonne. Our entire childhood… Also, a few glasses of nicely chilled verdelho/verdejo from the Iberian Peninsula. Boom, we are on holiday… Mouth (neat): varnish, a suggestion of hairspray and the complete Haribo assortment, especially the banana ones. Foam bananas. There we are… With water: in comes the pear, joining pineapple, apple, white grapes, banana, papaya… And all that. A very slight chalky, green-peppery side gives the whole thing a solid foundation. Finish: long, fresh and wonderfully fruity, with pear underpinning everything. Including the pips. Comments: well, we love this rather cheerful, even extravagant baby. Well played, Kirsch and Glencadam.
SGP:751 - 88 points.

Glencadam 27 yo 1996/2024 ‘Reserva de Jerez’ (46%, OB, 1,691 bottles)

This one has an oloroso finish from Jerez. Let us see whether it can hold its own against the cheeky exuberance of the younger, unadorned versions… Colour: full gold. Nose: the answer is yes, as everything remains balanced, and even the fruitiness is still there, albeit wrapped in walnut, hazelnut and sesame liqueurs. A little smoke, ashes, roasted chestnuts, toasted pine nuts… Mouth: well played! Mint and lemon, green walnuts, tobacco, and even a little brine and olives. Admittedly not Glencadam’s usual style, but the composition is pretty much perfect, almost more fino than oloroso in character. Finish: long and precise, without a false note, gunpowder, spent matches, overbearing walnuts, leather or vinegary touches… Anyway, you get the picture. Comments: why did I miss this very fine expression when it came out? There were 1,691 bottles, after all!
SGP:561 - 89 points.

A perfect 'Himmelsleiter' today.

Check the index of all Glencadam we've tasted