Review 257. Cadenhead’s Enigma 40 year old Highland single malt

Grateful for being part of this community (the reason for the season).

It’s both hard to fathom just how precious and wonderful our whisky community is and  how easy it might be to take it for granted. The generosity, kindheartedness, humour, and people generally being ‘a good egg’ whenever we meet, interact and engage, might seem as a given, but it’s good to remind ourselves that we need to cherish it and guard it. Whatever political views and ideological stances someone might have, I’ve come to find that they are left at the door whenever we meet, be it in real life or virtual, as it’s the shared love and appreciation for  whisky that unites us. Whisky enables us and encourages us to strive to be the best version of ourselves. And, as a consequence, whisky often becomes a catalyst helping us to  engage and connect on a  deeper, more personal level too. Whisky friends simply become friends, with the big fat bonus of a shared interest in the water of life, which, for one thing, always makes sure you have something to talk about.

So, rather than ending the year with  traditional reviews and discussions about the highlights and best offs of the year, I want to use this week and next week (which will likely be the last post of 2025), to specifically say thank you to the people in this community, as you have enriched my life in so many ways. Corny line incoming... After all, being part of something as wonderful as this whisky community, is the real highlight!

In a way, 2025 was already that – a tribute to the community, as I’ve been working my way through the dozens and dozens of sample bottles stashed away in various boxes in my house. Obviously some of these samples I acquired at tastings and festivals, but the vast majority was (and is) provided by fellow enthusiasts. Even though I’ve worked my way through roughly 40-50 samples this year, it seems that I may well need to keep focusing on discussing and reviewing samples in 2026 as the stash is nowhere near depleted. It’s a dirty job, and I am here to do it…

Cadenhead’s Enigma 40 yo Highland single malt (1985-2025). 44.5% ABV, bourbon hogsheads matured, NC, UCF. 636 bottles, app. €600 (£450)

Today’s sample was very kindly provided to me by Sabrina Benoit, who I’m sure is no stranger to many of you. She is without a doubt one of the kindest people you could hope to meet, and the chances of you meeting her, particularly if you’re in Scotland, are pretty big. Living and working as a teacher in Brussels, she spends a lot of her free time in the UK, often with a backpack and a small tent strapped on her back, roaming the Scottish countryside, avidly hiking lochs and bens, undeterred by  the Scottish weather (4 seasons in one day) and fauna (mainly midges). She has shared many a dram with other folk in the community, and I consider myself blessed to call her my friend.

When we last met at Spirits in the Sky in Brussels, she attended a Cadenhead’s ‘masterclass’ (that’s what they call it at the festival, in  reality these sessions are more like an extra tasting session within and during the festival). Afterwards, she very kindly gave me a sample of this 40 year old (!) Highland single malt. That’s how much of atar she is!

This, I think, is also the same whisky Cadenhead’s brought to the ‘under the table’ tasting hosted by Roy in the run up to the Glasgow Whisky Festival, and which he discussed in the vPub afterwards.

In any case, a quick bit of googling and searching on whiskybase suggests this is 40 year old Glenmorangie. A distillery I never truly, deeply connected with, but which does manage to charm me on occasion… A distillery we also seldom see in the shape of indie bottlings, so that’s an interesting little extra to take into the equation here as well.

Nose

So fruity! Apple tart, citrus, pear… A whiff of pencil shavings and wood dust betray there’s some age to this. Digging further (not much ‘digging’ is required as this is all laid out neatly on the table, so to speak) there’s vanilla and a hint of a lactic note. It’s fresh, elegant, and rather excellent!

Palate

A spot on balance between wood and fruit notes (grapes, orchard fruit and citrus). There’s less of that vanilla, although the mouthfeel has a very pleasant silky touch. It’s just lovely mellow, yet don’t be fooled to think this is a simple whisky. It may be easy going, but it has depth and complexity to it.

Finish

Very long and lingering. Subtle wood notes; again with those pencil shavings lead the way. In fact it’s so present, it’s almost like an extra tasting note.

Final thoughts

The long and short of it: a wonderful, wonderful dram. The harmony between spirit and cask, after 40 years, is fantastic. With an overly active cask, this would be like sipping a log, with an overly tired cask, you’d likely be drinking something under matured. This however, is delightfully fresh and vibrant with just enough wood in there to lift everything and crank up the experience. Playful and ‘easy’ but with enough of a hook to things and absolutely dripping with quality. A sheer delight!