Oban 11yo (Special Release 2023) “The Soul of Calypso” & Cardhu 16yo (Special Release 2022) “The Hidden Paradise of Black Rock”

Oban 11yo (Special Release 2023) “The Soul of Calypso”

Region: Highlands

ABV: 58.0%

Price: £140.00

Part of Diageo’s Special Releases 2023 “Spirited Xchange”. This 11 year old Oban was finished in Caribbean pot still rum casks before bottling at cask strength. No bottle count released.

Nose

The nose opens with cold butter, apple peel and core, maritime air with a little crystal salt, pear drops, and some light coconut oil aromas in the background. There's a mild, slightly tropical note in the background that we assume is from the rum cask maturation, but it's not really jumping out of the glass at us. The alcohol feels quite soft though, it's present but we'd have expected a bit more of a kick to be honest. Going back, we're also finding a little stone fruit, peach, alongside a little lemon and lime juice.

Palate

The palate opens with lots of fruit - a mixture of pineapple, mango and guava, mixed with a few orchard fruits. There's also a weighty chocolate note here, not dark chocolate, but more of a sweet milky, slightly malty chocolate. There's an underlying salinity here, and something that's quite metallic, almost industrial sitting in the background. The alcohol is warmer than the nose, giving a bit of warm ginger and chili spice to the dram. There's also some grapefruit segments that start to show as the finish lingers on. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose continues with the cold butter and maritime notes, but has more of that tropicality - more pureed mango, some tinned pineapple, a little kiwi too. There's still an orchard fruit note here, but it's definitely more rum-driven. 

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate feels a little thinner, but still has a lot of citrus, and sweet fruits, primarily pineapple and mango. There's still a malty, chocolate note here, and the spice hasn't changed too much. It just feels a little flatter - we'd skip the water here.

Conclusion

This is actually quite good. We admit we came in a little skeptical - rum finishes can go rogue, and Diageo Special Releases have been hit or miss for us, but this has a good mix of maritime, slightly industrial notes alongside a sweeter, fruitier and more tropical profile. There's a few rough edges, but we'd definitely enjoy a dram in the future.

Score: 7/10

Value

At RRP this was far too expensive, but you can find this on sale currently for around £70.

Cardhu 16yo (Special Release 2022) “The Hidden Paradise of Black Rock”

Region: Speyside

ABV: 58.0%

Price: £160.00

A Diageo Special Releases 2022 bottling from the “Legends Untold” line up. Matured for 16 years with a finish in Jamaican pot still rum casks before bottling at cask strength. No bottle count released.

Nose

The nose opens with fruity malt loaf, lemon water, . There's a little raw spirit character if we go really deep into the glass - alongside something a little vegetal, like walking through a forest. Going back, we're finding some under ripe bananas, menthol and some fresh green apples. It doesn't feel overly alcoholic, but it also doesn't feel 16 years old. Perhaps its needs more time to open up. 

Palate

The palate opens with tingly citrus, a mixture of pure lemon juice and a little bit of orange essence. The rum character is much more prominent, lots of cane sugar, mango, pineapple, but also a bit of funk - think fermented fruits and a little dirt. There's also some chocolate coated foam bananas, walnuts, and sherbert. It transitions from citrus, to fruit, to chocolate, to sugar over a few seconds on the palate. The mouthfeel is fine, and the finish does last a decent length. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose opens up a little bit, more into vanilla, coconut and sawdust. There's light hints of pineapple in the background, and some underripe fruits also appear. Water hasn't really made anything better, and we're not loving the new profile. 

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate loses a lot of texture, but still opens with all of that citrus, and then moves into the fruitier, more tropical led flavours. There's more of a ginger juice-spice coming through for us now, and even though it's lower in ABV, it feels hotter on the tongue.  

Conclusion

We're a little torn. The nose is fairly flat, boring and too youthful for the age, but the palate is pleasant, and has a good amount of complexity as the dram develops. There's some bits of the palate that let us down too, so overall we're going with a 6.5/10 - good, but not great.

Score: 6.5/10

Value

Another one where if you shop around you should be able to get a significant discount.

• 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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