Cadenheads Enigma (Aultmore) 14yo Authentic Collection March 2025 & Cadenheads Miltonduff 17yo Authentic Collection March 2025

Cadenheads Enigma (Aultmore) 14yo Authentic Collection March 2025

Region: Speyside

ABV: 57.9%

Price: £65.00

We’re reliably informed that this Enigma release is Aultmore, initially matured for eight years in a refill bourbon barrel before being re-racked into a fresh Madeira hogshead for four years, followed by a final two year stint in fresh bourbon. 

Nose

The nose opens with a whole host of jelly bean flavours, there's a real artificial sugary sweetness coming through on first nosing. This is accompanied by a mint julep cocktail with some crushed blackcurrants, vanilla cream and some sweet shortbread biscuits. The alcohol is pretty well integrated, there's a bit of peppery spice coming through but it's pretty easy to nose. Time and air brings out a little candied ginger and buttery brioche.  

Palate

The palate has quite a richer character, we're getting some hazelnut butter, cooking chocolate, caramel wafers, grapefruit rind, a little milky coffee and something quite menthol too. Some of those fruity flavours from the nose are still present, but appear more towards the finish - mostly showing as apple and blackcurrant cordial. The mouthfeel is good, relatively thick, and the finish lingers for a good length with mostly vanilla bean and simple white bread and butter. The alcohol has a bit of heat but overall it's relatively well integrated. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose is slightly warmer, slightly less fruit and a bit more toffee and honeycomb, along with a bit of the milky coffee we got from the palate before. There's also a bit more citrus appearing, lime leaves, and a bit of clementine.  

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate loses a bit of the mouthfeel, but it does bring out more zingy lime on the palate. It's like the nose and palate have been flipped - there's lots more fruity, candy flavours on the palate as opposed to the richer, wine-driven flavours from before. Interesting.

Conclusion

A fairly tasty dram, much more of the Madeira character appears on the palate - the nose is fairly light, fruity and sweet compared with the richer, warmer flavours on the palate. Some of the notes on the palate can be slightly bitter without enough balancing sweetness, but it's a well made whisky.

Score: 7.5/10

Value

Fourteen year old cask strength whisky for £65 is a pretty good deal. 

Cadenheads Miltonduff 17yo Authentic Collection March 2025

Region: Speyside

ABV: 51.0%

Price: £75.00 

Distilled in 2007 and transferred to a Carcavelos (fortified Portuguese wine) hogshead in 2020, this whisky was bottled in March 2025, with a total release of 258 bottles. 

Nose

The nose opens with honey butter, a little apricot, poached pears, lemon water, diluted orange juice and a sprinkling of icing sugar. There's a good amount of wine cask influence here, but it's pretty well integrated with the spirit. The alcohol has good balance, it's more of a musty, slightly fermented aroma that's coming through.

Palate

The palate opens with apricot brandy, ginger snaps, almond marzipan, green apple skin, buttery brioche and apricot preserve. The finish has a bit more of a bitter, lemon pith flavour. The mouthfeel is decent, it's syrupy, and we're getting some peach scented air freshener and orange essence as it continues on the palate. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose has some blood orange sponge cake drizzled in olive oil, dried apricot, more of that fermented fruit, and some overcooked sweet doughnut dough. It also feels slightly fizzier, effervescent, with white wine aromas poking through.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate loses a bit of the mouthfeel, and has a bit more vanilla and butterscotch coming through before the palate moves into orange and apricot spreads. There's a fair amount of astringency, bitterness, with some slightly-off notes appearing on the mid palate.. we'd suggest skipping water here.  

Conclusion

This is somewhat overpowered by the Carcavelos cask finish for us, however there are some interesting and not often found flavours and aromas here. Definitely a bit funky, not necessarily our cup of tea but we appreciate the quality of the dram.

Score: 7/10

Value

Good price for the age and cask types.

• 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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