Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection Craigellachie-Glenlivet 13yo 2013 & Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection Ardmore 15yo 2011

Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection Craigellachie-Glenlivet 13yo 2013

Region: Speyside

ABV: 54.9%

Price: £65.00

Distilled at Craigellachie in 2013 and bottled by Cadenhead’s in September 2026 after 13 years of maturation, this single-cask release was transferred into a Fino sherry hogshead in 2022 for approximately four years of finishing. Outturn of 276 bottles. 

Nose

The nose opens with honey butter, sweetened cornflakes, light fudge notes, digestive biscuits and a little preserved lemon. It's fairly sweet and biscuity, not really funky whatsoever. There's a little bit of green olive in the background, alongside star anise and a tiny bit of blackcurrant too. It's fairly simple, we're not getting a lot of the fino here, although there is a bit of a drying sharpness that begins to appear with time and air. 

Palate

The palate opens with something a little metallic, moving into candied lemon peel, melon balls, and finishing on really strong coffee grounds and a little burnt caramel. The finish lingers on for a good length, and that coffee flavour doesn't dissipate in any way.. although there's a bit of dark chocolate that joins it. The mouthfeel is decent, reasonably oily, and there's some more brown sugar and french toast flavours appearing as we go back, as well as a bit of applesauce too. The alcohol is also in good balance, only a bit of black pepper spice in places. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose has a bit of must appear, mouldy dunnagey walls, over fermented fruit, but lots of caramel and some orchard fruits appear too. There's a little metallic note also coming through.  

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate is much fruitier, all of those toffees and caramels, more of a sharp, fino-like mid palate then some of those roasted coffee bean flavours on the latter palate. It's a fair bit drier on the finish now too, and much more of that fino sherry profile is present. 

Conclusion

A little unexpected, none of that funky Craigellachie spirit at all, but it drinks more like a caramel latte. Lots of strong coffee flavours that last through the whole palate and finish. It's not too bad actually, if you're into coffee you'll enjoy this.

Score: 7/10

Value

Good price given the age and distillery.

Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection Ardmore 15yo 2011

Region: Highlands

ABV: 55.7%

Price: £70.00

Distilled at Ardmore in 2011 and bottled by Cadenhead’s in September 2026 after 15 years of maturation, this single-cask release was re-racked into a Pedro Ximénez sherry hogshead in 2021 for approximately five years of finishing. Outturn of 216 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with lots of black cherry, sultanas, brandy snaps, ginger cake and a handful of red berries. Lots and lots of PX sweetness and fruitiness upfront. Behind this sits some cassia bark, crushed mint leaves, cola bottles and a little bit of meatiness. The peat is really subdued, we're barely able to detect any (or this might be unpeated, who knows...). The alcohol can be a little sharp in places, but it's not overwhelming. 

Palate

The palate opens with a bit of a thin, slightly water texture, but we're getting tons of sweet raisin juice, menthol, black pepper spice, black cherry jam and blackcurrant cordial. It feels like there's some earthy, vegetal peat appearing here, but the sherry is really pushing it into the background. There's also a bit of grape must and leafy forest floor as we go back for subsequent sips. There's less alcohol on the palate than we detected on the nose.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose feels a little sharper, still quite rich and deep PX aromas, but more tangy, acidic, and we're also getting a little more meatiness coming through now. We're also finding some more bitter coffee now.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate has all of those black fruits still intact, a little menthol, but now the palate falls away a bit too quickly. Not too much has changed flavour-wise, it's pretty similar to the unreduced nose.

Conclusion

A bit of a sherry bomb indeed, the PX is covering up a lot of the Ardmore character, and it's only on the palate that we begin to get the earthy vegetal peatsmoke. The PX finish is tasty though, it's not gone too woody or astringent, instead it's taken the rich, syrupy fruitiness from the sherry instead. Not too bad. 

Score: 7/10

Value

As usual Cadenhead is producing some good value whisky.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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