Cardhu

With its water sourced from the peat-softened streams of the Mannoch Hills, high above the postcard-pretty Spey Valley, Cardhu distillery has been synonymous with the smooth style of Speyside malt which bears its name since the late 19th century.

Located near Archiestown in Moray, Cardhu was founded by erstwhile whisky smuggler John Cumming in 1824. While Cardhu whisky is a vital component in blends released under the Johnnie Walker brand, Cardhu distillery is best-known for the smooth, sweet style of Speyside single malt which has made it the number-one single malt brand of owner Diageo.

Cardhu is most commonly seen as a 12-year-old expression, however in recent years a number of other special releases (including two Rare Malt age-statement expressions, a 22-year-old cask-strength release and a no-age-statement Special Cask Reserve expression) have proved successful.