Glencadam 10 The Rather Delicate (2021)
46% ABV
Purchased: 2021
Price: $50 + tax
Aged: Presumed to be 100% bourbon casks
Score: 7. Very Good. Skip to the Review
What Does ‘Entry Level’ Even Mean?
For most things in life there is an entry point of understanding and skill. When embarking on a journey of learning, the general rule of thumb is to start out with something simple or ‘high level’. This applies to academic arenas as well as skill based endeavors. In math, you begin with learning to add and work your way up to differential equations and beyond. You should learn how to change the tires and the oil on your car before you replace a head gasket. For some things you can skip steps. It is not necessary to learn how to change a tire before tearing an engine apart, however you get to learn how to use some tools and see some basic elements of a car before you get in over your head. You may even encounter a problem doing something simple that can then be applied to a more complex task later on. Regardless, in almost all cases, there will be a recommended path towards more advanced topics that has been carefully tweaked and refined by experts or enthusiasts in a given field over a long period of time.
The general guideline for beginners is to start with something that is low ABV and will not scare them away by having “too much” flavor. Blended whiskies or lower age stated, 40-43% ABV single malts seem to be the go to in most cases, but I must seriously question this approach. It is true that many of the complexities of more robust and higher levels of integrity presentation may be lost on a beginner, and that the usual price jump may be a bit shocking to them if they are used to never paying more than $30 for a bottle of booze. That being said, I do not believe that flavor in and of itself should be shied away from. Additionally, how much of a difference is 40% ABV to 46% ABV in terms of “burn?” A new drinker is already going to find 40% high in terms of strength so why not give them the full experience of texture, sensations and flavors? Personally, I’d rather roll the dice with a new drinker by giving them some background on why the particular bottle/distillery is considered good, the history and show them the proper way to enjoy a glass of whisky, including adding some water if they feel it’s a little too much for them right off the bat.
What got me the most excited about whisky early in my journey was the culture, history and the deep dives into what made each bottle different. My desire to understand these aspects of an all natural drink whose main ingredients include time itself is what drove me to push through the burn or, at times, off putting flavors and sensations. I suppose it depends on what you are trying to accomplish in terms of wooing friends and family into sharing this drink with you on a regular basis. Are you looking for a drinking buddy or someone to sit with you and enjoy a dram and maybe a cigar? Or are you looking for someone to share your passion with? Either way is fine really, and I can empathize with both. The desire just to get your foot in the door with a potential whisky recruit may make you gun shy to dump the good stuff on them right away. I do feel that much can be gained by sharing your passion and knowledge and laying the seeds of curiosity amongst those that may just see bottles of whisky as they do bottles of vodka with different colored labels on the shelf.
The 2nd iteration of the Online Scotch Whisky Awards (www.oswa.co.uk) have just been announced by Roy of Aquavitae and Ralfy. This year Glencadam 10 was nominated for Best Value Whisky 2022 and I have to say that based on the description of the category it was well deserving.
“These are the fairly-priced whiskies that still offer great quality and help people take their first steps, yet still provide great value sipping for experienced drinkers. This is where we celebrate the whiskies that are still attainable, despite continually rising prices in whisky.”
I have come to find that the best way to meet the needs of both beginners and seasoned veterans is to combine accessible flavors with interesting sensations. Seasoned whisky drinkers can still enjoy the malty, fruity flavors of a lesser aged whisky, provided there is something there to keep them interested and sensations are a great way to achieve that without distracting the beginner who likely just hopes the liquid does not burn too much.
Review
Nose: A blast of fruit and dew covered grass. Lemon custard and fresh red apples. Freshly hewn oak with touches of cinnamon and nutmeg. With time in the glass the fresh red apples and spices meld into a mulled cider. Fresh baked pastries. Very pleasant and well integrated. Water brings out more fresh citrus and breadiness, but clouds the complexity severely.
Palate: Tart apples and cream on the front of the palate into an oak bitterness and sweet pastries. Well balanced, if not complex. Soft, but flavorful. Water leaves most of the palate intact, but tamps down the bitterness and leaves the dram feeling a bit more rich. Being that I find the sensations in this whisky the shining stars, this weakens the experience for me, however if you are more sensitive to bitterness, this may be helpful.
Finish: Barley sugar, chocolate powder, and a touch of ginger and/or black pepper. Sweet, but not overly cloying. I am a big fan of these flavors on finishes and my growing adoration for bourbon matured malts is influenced by this. Medium in length. Again, water leaves the finish largely as is but it feels shorter and a bit thinner.
Overall: This whisky has quickly shot up the ranks as one of my favorite “entry level” drams. I struggle to even call it entry level at times, as it only shows as young in the flavors and not the overall experience. This is a flavorful whisky and although the distillery’s description of The Rather Delicate is not inaccurate, there is enough complexity here to keep experienced whisky drinkers engaged. The complexity lies more in the sensations than in the overall flavor with sweetness, tartness, bitterness, pepperiness and maybe a few more ‘-nesses’ floating around in there. Thus far I have actually preferred this to the 15 year espresso. We will see if that holds up with some more direct scrutiny. Score: 7/10.
Whisky Against Humanity 
New whiskey drinker here!
I think you’re probably right that at a certain point the difference between a few ABV %s isn’t drastic enough to discourage drinking completely.
With that said, any opinions on what would be considered “too high” of ABV for someone starting out though?
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The good news is that adding water to whisky, particularly scotch, is a well accepted practice. Even experienced drinkers will add drops of water to their whisky to get new flavors to emerge. From a beginner stand point, feel free to add water a few drops at a time or if it’s a high proof whisky a teaspoon at a time. It’s best to wait a few minutes at least after adding water to let things settle down. Add water until you feel like it makes sense and isn’t overwhelming and go from there. You can cut back on how much you add next time if you feel like you can handle some more. A more direct answer is that 46% is the gold standard for scotch and I would start there and add water if needed. 46% is standard for a few reasons. Mainly there is less of a need to chill filter at this ABV as the whisky doesn’t cloud as much and you are getting a good dose of flavor. This way you are getting whisky that hasn’t been adulterated too much before bottling and you can control the strength as needed. For bourbon, it’s a little different. Personally, I don’t really feel I am getting the true bourbon experience under 50% however many popular bourbons are below that. Adding water to bourbon kind of ruins it for me, so I avoid it unless the strength is getting really high. Avoid ice if possible, as you cannot control the dilution and making it cold also dulls flavors.
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Wow, thanks for the tips!
Honestly I feel like I don’t see people add water a lot so wasn’t sure if it was “socially acceptable” or not!
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