Scotch Whiskey Review #167: Glenmorangie The Cadboll Estate 15 Year

Distillery: Glenmorangie

Region: Highland

Price: $8 for a 2 oz sample

Cask Type: First-fill American White Oak ex-Bourbon

Barley: Barley from Glenmorangie’s Cadboll Estate

ABV: 43%

Age: 15 Year

Color: 0.5, Yellow Gold.

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Nose: (according to the wife) It’s really light and fruity, you can hardly pick up anything. Trace whiffs of lemon drops and lemon pound cake are all that’s there.

Palate: It’s a bit thin on the mouthfeel. You get nice dosage of something creamy and sweet up front, almost like a vanilla pudding. That’s joined by a lemon shortbread, a note that reminds me of a lemon custard tart, and then some lemonade towards the back.

Finish: Medium in length. There’s a bit of spice in the form of peppercorns and something that reminds me of Korean chili powder. After the bit of spice, the lemon party resumes with a little more lemon shortbread at the very end.

Conclusion: Lemon desserts are among my favorites. That little bit of tartness you get along with some sweetness is really wonderful and somehow, Glenmorangie has managed to capture that here. From start to finish, it’s full of lemony goodness. The nose teases it slightly, the palate hits you hard with three different kinds of lemon treats, and the finishes gives a little twist before finishing nicely. It is a bit on the light and delicate side, so if you don’t usually care for that I’d stay away. It also could use a higher ABV to really bring out the lemony notes that are a bit subtle. Would I buy a bottle? Yes, but it’s not so good that I’d risk going outside for it during the coronavirus lockdown. Stay safe everyone!

Final Score: 82.

Scotch Whisky Review #167, Highland Review #38, Whisky Network Review #229

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Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.