Glencadam Distillery unveils new premium packaging with launch of Calvados cask finish
Glencadam Distillery, one of Scotland’s oldest working distilleries, has unveiled its new brand packaging, marking the next chapter in its story following a milestone bicentenary year.
The packaging refresh follows the celebration of Glencadam’s 200th anniversary and the opening of its first-ever visitor centre in Brechin. Designed to reflect Glencadam’s premium global positioning, the evolved look brings a contemporary edge to the brand, while the award-winning single malt inside remains unchanged, traditionally crafted as it has been since 1825.
The new packaging debuts this month across four expressions: Glencadam 10 Year Old, 15 Year Old, Reserva PX, and a brand new 17 Year Old Réserve de Calvados cask finish. The remainder of Glencadam’s range will transition to the new look in the coming weeks.
Inspired by Glencadam’s heritage, the packaging balances traditional storytelling with modern clarity. Each tube highlights cask maturation and tasting notes to aid selection at point of purchase, while hand-drawn illustrations reference how the distillery would have appeared in 1825. The illustrations were created by Edinburgh-based artist Andrew Davidson, renowned for his work on the Harry Potter book series, adding his acclaimed artistic vision to Glencadam’s rich storytelling. The clean aesthetic also reinforces the historic East Highland distillery’s commitment to natural colour and non-chill filtration, ensuring the range stands out on shelves worldwide.
A defining feature of the new design is the waterwheel motif, an enduring symbol of Glencadam since 1825 featured prominently across the brand identity, including an embossed detail around the base of each bottle. The bottle design further emphasises provenance, with “EST 1825” embossed on the shoulders, a branded wooden cork closure and clear references to cask type and traditional production methods.
Glencadam’s Master Blender, Iain Forteath, explains: “This new packaging represents evolution, not reinvention. Our time-honoured production methods, elegant house style and commitment to traditional craftsmanship remain unchanged. What has changed is how we tell our story, with a confident new look that celebrates both our heritage and the quality of the exceptional whisky we make.”
The packaging launch also marks the arrival of a new expression: Glencadam 17 Year Old Réserve de Calvados.
Crafted by Master Blender, Iain Forteath, the expression is made using hand selected Glencadam single malts initially matured in ex-bourbon American oak casks before being expertly married and finished in the finest Calvados barrels sourced from Normandy, France. Limited to 6,360 individually numbered bottles, the whisky is bottled at 46% ABV, natural colour and non-chill filtered.
On the nose, this whisky opens with an inviting bouquet of baked apples, heather honey, sugared almonds and vanilla sponge cake, layered with subtle hints of cocoa powder and chamomile. The palate follows with flavours of apple strudel, spiced fruits and butterscotch, seamlessly married with stem ginger, dark chocolate, candied orange and clove rock. Delivering a warming finish with notes of cappuccino and custard tarts, lifted by orchard blossom and lemon sherbet sweetness, and fading into a lingering cacao and baking spice glow.
Iain Forteath adds: “I am really excited to unveil this special bottling of our Glencadam whisky. This is the first time we have released a whisky matured in Calvados casks and the flavours and complexities imparted by these special barriques are both unique and delicious! The elegant orchard fruit and sweet spice notes imparted from the Calvados are a wonderful complement to the signature fruitiness of Glencadam whisky and I feel this expression really showcases the merits of both of these time-honoured spirits.”
Alongside the launch of the new Calvados expression and the opening of the visitor centre, Glencadam’s premium new look tells a cohesive story of heritage, craftsmanship and place, honouring the past while investing confidently in the future.
To find out more, visit: www.GlencadamWhisky.com
Glencadam Distillery
Established in 1825, Glencadam Distillery is steeped in history, heritage and tradition, handcrafting single malt Scotch whisky in a process that’s remained unchanged for over 200 years. In 2021, Glencadam Distillery re-installed a working internal waterwheel, modelled on the original which was used to power the distillery back in in 1825.
One of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, Glencadam was mothballed for several years before it was purchased and re-opened by Angus Dundee Distillers in 2003.
Today, Glencadam’s multi-award-winning range includes American Oak Reserve, Reserva Andalucía, the 10-Year-Old, 13-Year-Old, 15-Year-Old, 18-Year-Old and 25-Year-Old expressions, as well as a series of special cask finishes.
Visit www.glencadamwhisky.com to find out more.
Glencadam Distillery Visitor Centre
Glencadam’s state-of-the-art visitor centre opened its doors in November, inviting visitors to explore two centuries of craftsmanship with an intimate look behind the scenes of this storied distillery.
Guests can enjoy guided tours, tutored tastings and an interactive exhibition, tracing Glencadam’s journey from its 1825 origins to its place among Scotland’s most celebrated single malts today. The new brand home also features a whisky lounge, café, retail shop and function suite, blending tradition with modern hospitality to attract more visitors to Brechin and the surrounding area.
To find out more and book a tour, visit: www.GlencadamWhisky.com
Glencadam 17 Year Old Réserve de Calvados
RRP: £140
70cl, 46% ABV, Natural Colour, unchill filtered
NOSE: An inviting bouquet of baked apples, heather honey, sugared almonds and vanilla sponge cake with hints of cocoa powder and chamomile.
PALATE: A wash of apple strudel, spiced fruits and butterscotch married with stem ginger, dark chocolate, candied orange and clove rock.
FINISH: Warming impressions of cappuccino and custard tarts with orchard blossom and lemon sherbet sweetness, fading into a cacao and baking spice linger.
