Royal Mile stocks Cardhu Whiskies which are available both online or in our store in Edinburgh’s old town.
We have bottles that capture the well-known taste of this whisky, with both single malts and blends available.
Whether you are looking for a great whisky to fill your Friday night dram, or if you want a collectable for the display cabinet, you can pick up something from Royal Mile.
Cardhu has a very well rounded style that has found popularity with single malt fans as well as blenders. Starting out a little strong, the alcohol gives way to pear drops and caramelised white fruit, along with sugared nuts and a caramel sweetness in the body. Herbs and a little greenery can blend in. Ageing adds a buttery chocolate and cherry note, some leather, and can highlight some of the herbal tones.
Founded
1811
Owner
Diageo
Production Status
Operational
Capacity
2,300,000 Litres
Cardhu, which means 'black rock', is situated at Knockando on the Craigellachie to Grantown road, very much in the heart of Speyside. The distillery was first licenced in 1824 by John Cumming, the owner of Cardow farm. Though this was the first documentation of an actual licence the Cummings were known for their hand in whisky smuggling. John's wife Helen ran the operations for the illicit distillery from 1811, and used the farm to act as an early warning for the other distillers in Glen Livet, raising a red flag when they saw the tax men approaching.
The distillery was made famous by John Cumming's daughter in-law, Elizabeth, who rebuilt the distillery in 1872. This made her the first female distiller in Scotland, and her hospitality had a glowing reputation. Diageo continue this hospitality today as Cardhu is now the spiritual home of Johnnie Walker.
In 2002 Cardhu hit a problem of being rather too popular, having contracts for malt production to go to blends as well as having a huge demand for the single malt in Italy and Spain. Diageo solved this problem by releasing an edition that was made up of several malt whiskies, from different distilleries, all vatted together. This 'vatted malt' was bottled and labelled in the same way as their previous editions, and caused a lot of confusion about the contents and quality of Cardhu. In 2003 Diageo responded to the confusion and changed the packaging, reverting briefly to the original distillery name of Cardow, after the farm. This name is now used by some independent bottlers. Production of single malt Cardhu was not restarted until 2006, and the brand had taken quite a hit on their sales figures in that time.
This peculiar incident led to the legislation around whisky being changed, and this style of whisky (multiple single malts with no grain whisky added) were legally defined under the term 'blended malt', to clarify what the whisky actually was. Vatting itself is a process within distilleries of combining casks for a consistent flavour profile, and the continued use of both terms in different ways still leads to a bit of confusion over the terminology.
Order Cardhu Whiskies Online
Our range contains customer favourites, collectors’ editions, and every now and then; rare bottles that our purchasing team has been able to source.
Here are some of the products in our range right now:
Cardhu 16 Year Old Four Corners of Scotland – A celebration of the 4 Diageo distilleries in 4 corners of Scotland, all of which were key to the blend that makes Johnny Walker. A strong taste with a spicy feel that lingers on the tongue.
Cardhu 2013 10 Year Old ‘Old Particular’ - A fresh and fruity whisky with notes of apples, oranges and apricots. This bottle is one Cardhu and the Diago group as a whole’s top offerings, with a complex palate that goes down smoothly
Be sure to reach out to us if you are interested in a bottle that isn’t in stock.
We also have a newsletter where we announce rare and exclusive drops. In doing this we provide an opportunity to purchase limited or sometimes exclusive drops from distilleries like Cardhu and others.
Buy Cardhu With Royal Mile Whiskies
Buying Cardhu through Royal Mile gives you several options for delivery, including click and collect in our store, 2 working day UK delivery, and global shipping if you’re based further afield. You can also see a smaller, but still extensive range, by popping into our store.
We are always looking to help out our customers, so if you are at all unsure about what bottle would be best for you or a giftee, let us know and we’ll help you out. We also have an FAQ section for more general enquiries.
If you like Cardhu whisky, you may also enjoy
Speyside Whisky: Cardhu’s smooth, honeyed character epitomizes Speyside style.
Glenlivet Whisky: Glenlivet shares Cardhu’s light, fruity sweetness.
Aberlour Whisky: Aberlour’s sherried richness complements Cardhu’s smooth style.
