Which distillery is this, this Wardhead? Well, as most whisky nerds know by now, there are some code names for distilleries that don’t want their name used on labels. Westport is Glenmorangie, Burnside is Balvenie, ‘Secret Orkney’ is Highland Park, and Wardhead is Glenfiddich.

Most of these code names are for blended malts, and in this case that doesn’t mean a blend with multiple significant components, but just one that is teaspooned. And by that the industry means that there is some minuscule addition of another distillery to a single malt that causes it to not be a single malt.

And of course, since there is only a minuscule part of something else, you won’t taste that, and that means that ‘the industry’ can do that or they can’t and just say they did. So, we might as well call this a single malt for all purposes.

Anyway, this Wardhead was bottled by Càrn Mòr, which was a part of Morrison and Mackay. That company no longer exists with the Mackay family having sold their part to the other. Morrison Whisky has also built a distillery in Aberargie, just south-east of Perth. Not a company to welcome visitors, or produce single malt for releasing as such, nor do they seem to be participating in the community in which they built their distillery (according to a few locals).

But, how’s the whisky? Because that, in the end, is what matters when you have already gotten your mitts on a sample.

Sniff:
The typical fruity notes of Glenfiddich with quite some banana, mushy pear, applesauce. Topped off with a bit of oak and apple crumble, including the vanilla custard.

Sip:
Dry with green plant notes, as well as grass, straw, pastry and fruit. Apples, pears, unripe banana, star fruit. Less sweet than I expected based on the nose. Wood, barley husks.

Swallow:
The finish is very consistent and quite compkex. Well rounded with greener plant notes, as well as fruit and the ‘ingredients’ of the whisky: oak and barley.

Interestingly, the nose didn’t show the plant-like notes that came through on the palate. However, that didn’t make it inconsistent, it just made for some development in the glass. So, how’s the whisky? It’s very good indeed!

I love the gentle fruity notes and it’s not overly sweet, which I consider a lot of Glenfiddich to be. It’s still available, surprisingly, for € 149 in Italy, and that is very well spent money. Highly recommended!

89/100