Cadenheads Tomintoul-Glenlivet 19yo Authentic Collection August 2024 & Cadenheads Glenturret 13yo Authentic Collection August 2024

Cadenheads Tomintoul-Glenlivet 19yo Authentic Collection August 2024

Region: Speyside

ABV: 53.1%

Price: £90.00

Distilled in 2005 and matured in a refill Butt, this whisky was bottled in August 2024. A total of 522 bottles were released.

Nose

On the nose there’s notes of warehouse must, strawberry Chewits, crushed pine nuts, lime zest, caramelised brown sugar and the skin that forms on the top of rice pudding. Going back after giving it time to open up, there’s also notes of Turkish delight, charred wood, and treacle, brown bread, and dark chocolate.

Palate

This is quite quaffable, and doesn’t taste it’s ABV. It’s pretty sweet, almost syrupy, though the mouthfeel feels a little thin. There are distinctive notes of tobacco and Tizer, along with oat flapjacks drizzled in golden syrup. A hint of white pepper spice emerges on the medium finish. The fruit presence is subtle, mostly manifesting as reduced sultanas, reminiscent of a sultana cupcakes. Revisiting the dram, we can detect brown sugar, lightly roasted coffee, and dark chocolate. The finish is a decent length, with a good mix of sweetness and spice.

Nose (with water)

With water, the nose becomes nuttier, with prominent cashew and pine nuts notes. The golden syrup and sultanas notes become more noticeable, while savoury notes of beef and mustard emerge alongside toffee.

Palate (with water)

When diluted, the dram exhibits more dark chocolate bitterness, It loses many of the more interesting notes, such as sultanas, and instead is dominated by that dark chocolate, coffee, and a touch of white sugar. It becomes spicier too, although the mouthfeel remains passable.

Conclusion

These days, the market feels flooded with young whiskies that have been aggressively finished in sherry, making this one a nice diversion. It's a good dram with some interesting flavours. However, it's just a shame that a few aspects, like the mouthfeel, slightly let it down. Nonetheless, it remains a good dram.

Score: 7/10

Value

Absolute bargain.

Cadenheads Glenturret 13yo Authentic Collection August 2024

Region: Highlands

ABV: 54.8%

Price: £70.00

Distilled in 2010 and matured in a Bourbon Hogshead, this whisky was bottled in August 2024. A total of 312 bottles were released.

Nose

On the nose we’re picking out notes of coffee liqueur, ground peanuts, and satay sauce, complemented by notes of chlorine and sardine brine, alongside wet pebbles. Revisiting it reveals iodine and lemon juice, with a hint of vanilla sweetness. There’s also notes of Cornish pasties, baked beans, and Vegemite.

Palate

There’s very little peat on the palate it’s slightly ashy, but other than that there’s not much smoke here. Other notes include Mirin, dry wood, sugar paste, brine, brisket, and sweet chili spice. It has a good mouthfeel and a medium finish with the aforementioned notes lingering. It’s a little funky for us if we’re being honest.

Nose (with water)

With the addition of water, the dram retains most of the same notes as without water but gains more ash and wet cardboard, alongside dry wood. There’s a few slightly more unusual notes, including a bit of a cheesy aroma reminiscent of hard cheese like Parmesan that starts to appear as we sit with it.

Palate (with water)

With water, the palate reveals a bit more sweetness and less spice, while the ash notes and brine diminish. It maintains a good mouthfeel and finish, with a bit of bitterness emerging from chocolate and orange rind.

Conclusion

This is an unusual dram that features some weird notes, leaning more towards savoury than sweet. There isn’t a massive difference when water is added compared to without. It really comes down to personal taste; someone might love it, but it's not for us.

Score: 6.5/10

Value

Good price for a peated dram at that age.

• 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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