Cardhu
Founder John Cumming was one of the region's most notorious illicit distillers before officially founding the distillery in 1824 – originally under the name "Cardow". The court judgments against him still hang framed in the distillery office today, which proudly displays its criminal past.
Cardhu stands for a round, soft, and warm Speyside style with malty sweetness and a lightly smoky core. From the Cardhu 12 Year Old to the Cardhu Gold Reserve, you will find the right bottle for every occasion in our selection.
Content: 0.7 Liter (€51.41 / 1 Liter)
Available, delivery time: 1-3 business days
Content: 0.7 Liter (€84.27 / 1 Liter)
Available, delivery time: 1-3 business days
Code: PFINGSTEN26
Content: 0.7 Liter (€47.13 / 1 Liter)
Available, delivery time: 1-3 business days
Content: 0.7 Liter (€51.41 / 1 Liter)
Available, delivery time: 3-6 business business days
Content: 0.04 Liter (€149.75 / 1 Liter)
Available, delivery time: 1-3 business days
Content: 0.7 Liter (€108.56 / 1 Liter)
Available, delivery time: 1-3 business days
Content: 0.7 Liter (€59.99 / 1 Liter)
Available, delivery time: 3-6 business business days
How did a family of illicit distillers come to run one of Speyside's best-known brands?
John Cumming founded the distillery in 1824 under the name "Cardow", after the small settlement where it first stood. After the deaths of John and his son Lewis, Lewis's widow Elizabeth Cumming took over management in 1872 – and in 1884 had an entirely new distillery built a stone's throw from the original site. She sold the old stills to a certain William Grant, who used them to found his own distillery: Glenfiddich. In 1893, the family sold to John Walker & Sons but retained operational management; the name switched back and forth between "Cardow" and "Cardhu" several times before "Cardhu" finally stuck in 1981.
Why is Cardhu so closely tied to Johnnie Walker?
Cardhu has belonged to Diageo since 1987. The distillery's malts remain the heart of the world's most successful blended whisky, Johnnie Walker – a connection dating back to the 1893 sale to the Walker family.
Overview of the most popular bottlings
1. Cardhu 12 Year Old
The entry point into the soft house style.
Taste: Round and malty with a light smoky note.
Serving suggestion: Neat, as a gentle introduction to Speyside.
2. Cardhu Gold Reserve
The no-age-statement variant with more intense cask maturation.
Taste: Deepened vanilla and caramel notes.
Serving suggestion: For anyone wanting a little more cask depth.
3. Cardhu Amber Rock
Another approachable no-age-statement bottling.
Taste: Fruity and mild with warm sweetness.
Serving suggestion: An uncomplicated everyday malt.
Facts and figures
Address: Knockando, Aberlour, Morayshire. Capacity: around 3 million litres a year, three wash stills and three spirit stills. Water source: Lyne Burn. Owner: Diageo.