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Speyside, Balanced. Sweet.

Caramel. Honey.

Cardhu isn't breaking any new ground here. It's safe choice for someone who wants to start getting into whisky, or who just wants a friendly drink. It can be a great gift idea too (especially with the interesting bottle). Although it must be said at SRP, it might be on the more expensive side.

No regrets, no major complaints with this one.

But it's a wait-for-sale for me.

Imagine if a Chupa-Chups Strawberry lollipop was a whisky, and this (to the experienced Whisky drinker) will show what you will experience with Cardhu 12.

On the nose, it's stereotypical speyside. Lots of red fruits, and a bit of bubblegum which makes me think old, exhausted casks were used in maturing this whisky.

On the taste, it's sickly sweet, almost reminiscent of Stevia, on the palate. The mouthfeel is also thin, being a 40% ABV, Chill-Filtered, Mediocre whisky. The finish leaves nothing to be desired.

Overall, I wouldn't purchase this again.

The only redeeming factors about this bottle is that it's good to share with friends to impress them, and that once the bottle is empty, you're left with a very pretty decanter. It's the only reason I'm giving this a two-star review instead of a one.

P.S. I have also tried the 15 year old. It's more expensive, which makes it more disappointing since it's so similar to the 12 year old. I don't know what Cardhu is doing but Cardhu is doing it wrong.