Glencadam Small Batch Single Malt Whisky

A few years ago, I referred to Glencadam as an "underestimated, hidden gem." Since then, Glencadam's whisky range has significantly expanded, and the owners have intensified their product promotion efforts. The distillery naturally sought to increase brand awareness, and in 2018, plans for a visitor center were submitted to the Angus Community Council, finally receiving approval in May 2019. The plans include expanding the current office building, with a shop and visitor center on the ground floor, and a coffee lounge and terrace on the second floor. If the project proceeds smoothly, the visitor center is expected to open in mid-to-late 2020. Once upon a time, there were eight operational distilleries along the east coast between Aberdeen and Dundee. Following the 1980s downturn in the Scotch whisky industry, only two survived—Glencadam and Fettercairn. However, the number has now increased to three, with a new distillery called Arbikie built in 2014. Glencadam Distillery is equipped with one traditional 4.9-ton cast iron mash tun; six stainless steel fermentation tanks with a fermentation time of 52 hours; and one pair of stills. The heat exchanger outside the wash still has been in use since the 1950s and may be the first of its kind in the industry. The distillery currently has two dunnage warehouses built in 1825, three dunnage warehouses built in the 1950s, and one modern racked warehouse. The distillery currently operates seven days a week, producing 16 batches of mash per week, which can be converted into 1.3 million liters of new make spirit. The distillery also produces a large volume of blended whisky. These whiskies are blended in 16 huge steel tanks adjacent to the distillery and shipped from there to a bottler in Coatbridge, eastern Glasgow. Core expressions include Origin 1825, 10 Years, 13 Years, 18 Years, 21 Years, and 25 Years. The core range also includes two cask finishes—a Port finish 17 Years and an Oloroso sherry finish 19 Years. Due to the distillery's dormancy between 2000-2003, the 15 Year Old was discontinued for several years, but in 2019 it returned to the core range. The latest limited edition includes a sherry single cask 30 Years distilled in 1978.