CARDHU, the distillery that supplies most of the whisky variants used to create Johnnie Walker whiskies, also produces its own luxury single malt whisky from its Speyside distillery.
It is produced in limited quantities using a deliberately slow distillation process and matured for 12 years in carefully selected oak casks.
It may take longer than many malts to reach fruition but it is time well spent, as can be judged by its exceptionally smooth and mellow character.
The malt itself – which is presented in an elegant decanter with a beechwood stopper – is pretty typical of a Speyside malt. It is highly approachable, smooth, sweet, mellow and uncomplicated, and it is often described as silky. It has good body and length.
Interestingly, the distillery is the only place in Britain where you can buy the Cardhu single malt – which, naturally, adds to the whisky’s very special nature. Despite its limited quantities, it is a single malt that is known and loved all over the world, thanks to its superb quality. In fact, such is the popularity of Cardhu single malt that worldwide demand has outstripped the capacity of this small distillery, with the result that its malt is sadly no longer available in many countries.
Cardhu is currently owned by Diageo, the world’s largest liquor company.
