William Cadenhead Ltd. is Scotland's oldest independent bottler, and has earned a reputation for selecting and buying fine quality spirits by the barrel from selected distillers, then aging and bottling them. In most cases they name the country and distiller of origin, in addition to useful facts.
For example:
And...Cadenhead's GREEN LABEL RUM has been bottled from a specially selected individual cask. With the exception of the addition of water added to bring the Rum to a drinking strength, it has not been treated to change its colour and is free from all additives. It has not been subjected to any chill filtering that might remove natural constituents and spoil its flavour. It will have the unique flavour and aroma of its individual cask.
Barrel strength, pure and free of additives, non chillfiltered and no alteration. Impressive. The way all rum should be, but never will.Cadenhead DATED DISTILLATION Rums are bottled undiluted at their natural high maturing strength and, like the Green Label rum have not been subjected to any treatment that might remove natural constituents and spoil the natural flavour and aroma of its individual cask.
But even Cadenhead has its moments...
Here's how it started. One of the saturated monkeys over at the Shillery (Taboulie) was bragging over his newly acquired Cadenhead Montego Bay White Rum, and as he put it "...from Guyana"?! Now since any idiot knows that Montego Bay is in Jamaica, my bullshit detector went off and all the exits were automatically sealed.
This can't be, I thought, and immediately dashed off an email to the Cadenhead Whisky Shop in London: "Dear Sirs... Can you please tell me where your Montego Bay rum is distilled, and also how and how long it is aged? Thank you...".
Their response...
Commercially sensitive? Cadenhead normally provides this information and more, so who do they think they're fackin kidding? OK, I'll play the game, and then wrote Cadenhead direct in Scotland: "I recently became aware of your Cadenhead's Montego Bay Rum. Unlike your other rums, I cannot seem to find the origin of this rum, ie the country and/or distiller that produced the original product for you. What is the country/distiller of origin?". I sent this twice, first using their contact form and second via their contact email address.Cadenhead Whisky Shop: "Hi there. If this is about the white Rum 46 & 55% vol then it has no age in-line with other commercial rums as for the distillery that information might be seen as commercially sensitive! we do not carry the data sheets for that Rum for any further information can we advise you to contact Wm Cadenhead in Scotland."
The first response came from the usual, short-skirted PR rep, Janet...
Aha, Jamaica! Now that's more like it. But then I got another email, this time from the distillery...Janet:"Hi, The country of origin for the Cadenhead's Montego Bay Rum is Jamaica. Hope this helps. Regards, Janet".
So there you have it, in order:
Cadenhead Distillery: "Dear Sir: The Montego Bay comes from either Guyana or Jamaica depending on the batch bottled. However as it was not bottled under our dated distillation rum which names the distillery we cannot name the distillery as we purchased the casks only as white rum.
I hope this information will be of some help to you.
Best regards
THE CADENEHEAD TEAM"
1. Guyana
2. Jamaica
3. Guyana or Jamaica
You decide...
Bottom line:
Although I have every regard for Cadenhead, it's clear that the Montego Bay is not particularly special or exclusive, lacking both a clear country of origin, and without a distillery being named.
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