Category Archives: Highland

Cragganmore Distiller’s Edition Port Finish 40%

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Our Nurnberg International Whisky group continued our journey with a quartet from Glenmorangie, exploring the impact of different finishes on the same ‘base’. This was joined by an extra – a Cragganmore Port finish to compare with the Glenmorangie Port finish.

After warming up with the Glenmorangie 10 year “The Original” ex-Bourbon finish, followed by the Glenmorangie 12 year “The Lasanta” Sherry Finish, we then turned to the Glenmorangie 14 year “Quinta Ruban” Port Finish.

We then paused before continuing to the Nector D’Or. And that is when one of our tasting companions pulled out a different Port Finish whisky to compare with the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban – the Cragganmore (2005/2018) Distiller’s Edition Port Finish 40%.

This wasn’t my 1st time trying either Cragganmore or even their Port Finish. Whilst primarily providing liquid for Diageo blends, I’ve tried both official bottlings and one from an independent bottler Most recently was a terrific evening in Berlin with a more recent version of this very Distillers Edition (2008/2020) 40% expression, and tried as a duo next to a Benromach. Another time, was a Scotch Malt Whisky Society dram – 14 year “Eastern Promise” (1 Oct 2002) 56.8% (SMWS 37.85).

What did we think?

Cragganmore (2005/2018) Distiller’s Edition Port Finish 40%.

  • Colour – Dark amber (possibly aided by coloring)
  • Nose – It started with apples – very young green ones that aren’t quite ripe, then shifted into a vague fruity aroma that combined sweet and sour
  • Palate – Quite light, a touch of spice and oak, soft with the barest hint of peat
  • Finish – Sweet peat

With the Glenmorangie, the Port finish added a depth of character that was almost entirely missing here. Perhaps on its own, it would have made more of an impression. Whereas side-by-side, it alas did not stand out.

Now let’s be honest here, “Distiller’s Edition” can often be code for mass-production release trying to sound fancy. In the case of Cragganmore, they do ensure their version is dated, so you can compare slight variances by year. Based on my experience with the 2020, I’d say the later avatar had a bit more “oomph!” than the 2018 expression.

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Glenmorangie Whisky Finishes Tasting Set

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Our Nurnberg International Whisky group continued our journey with a tasting set quartet from Glenmorangie, exploring the impact of different finishes on the same ‘base’. This was joined by an extra “bonus” – a Cragganmore Port finish to compare with the Glenmorangie Port finish.

Bucking the trend towards mostly no-age statements, the Glenmorangie standards typically disclose their age. Their Master Distiller – Dr Bill Lumsden shared in a previous tasting the work that goes into bringing consistency to each expression, often including barrels that are much older than the stated year.

  • 10 year “The Original” 40%
  • 12 year “The Lasanta” Sherry Finish 43%
  • 14 year “Quinta Ruban” Port Finish 46%
  • Nectar d’Or Sauternes Finish 46%

The original Glenmorangie 10 year old was released more than 175 years ago by our founders. It’s famous for its mellow tones and delicacy of flavour.

Glenmorangie 10 year “The Original” 40%

  • Nose – Delicious pears, ripe peaches, lemon, heather, honey, a lovely perfume, and a touch of vanilla, as it opened further there was even a bit of bubblegum
  • Palate – Honey sweet, hint of spring, floral, more warm peach, touch of orange, beautiful balance
  • Finish – Light bitterness

It was like welcoming back a familiar yet long-lost friend. It had been far too many years since I’d enjoyed The Original. Such a classic – refined, nuanced, and simply delicious! There is a lovely elegance about the Glenmorangie 10 year.

Again remembering a previous tasting experience led by Bill Lumsden, I recalled how he shared that the 10-year is truly the foundation for all his expressions and experiments. Aged in ex-bourbon casks, it has a light – even delicate – a character that is mild enough to be versatile.

I’ll admit that I keep forgetting how reasonable alcohol prices are in Germany. A mere Eur 35?? Can that really be? Some suggested this might make a good ‘calibration‘ whisky, however, it would also be a tough act to follow!

And yet that is exactly what we did… followed up The Original with The Lasanta – to explore the impact of just 2 additional years and time spent in ex-Sherry barrels….

The Lasanta 12 years old has been matured it in bourbon and sherry casks, transforming it into a mouth-watering odyssey bursting with rich spiciness and sun-drenched sweetness.

Glenmorangie 12 year “The Lasanta” Sherry Finish 43%

  • Nose – Initially greets you with wood, spice, then sweetness, juicy plums, and over time, opened into a lovely chocolate mocha
  • Palate – Dry, a bit spicy, what we could best describe as chewing tobacco, soft plums, juicy raisins, a hint of ginger
  • Finish – Warm sweet spices with more of that mouth-watering mocha

We quite enjoyed this one – particularly how it is a terrific contrast with The Original. We found the sherry certainly made an impact – and yet it was a lovely layering on top of a beautiful base. After 10 years in ex-bourbon casks, much like The Original, this was followed by 18 – 36 months in ex-Olorosso and PX sherry casks.

Here’s what the folks at Glenmorangie have to say:

This whisky is Dr Bill’s attempt to bottle the magic of sunset, with its endless horizon of reds, oranges and purples.

The Lasanta begins with our giraffe-high stills, which yield a deliciously delicate and fruity spirit. Next, we mature it in bourbon and sherry casks for 12 years, transforming it into a mouth-watering odyssey bursting with rich spiciness and sun-drenched sweetness.

It radiates with raisins, honeycomb and chocolate-covered hazelnuts lightened by cinnamon breezes.

Each time you watch the sunset, you see something different – this is how it is to drink Lasanta.

Next up was a shift from Sherry to Port casks from Portugal with the Quinta Ruban….

The Quinta Ruban 14 years old has been matured in port casks. It has incredible flavour combinations. Walnut and black pepper. Mandarin orange and melted marshmallow.

Glenmorangie 14 year “The Quinta Ruban” Port Finish 46%

  • Nose – Chewy! One found hot rubber, a touch nutty, some pepper, then as it spent more time in the glass revealing rich dark fruits
  • Palate – Oily, ginger, pepper, spicy, chocolate, more of that nutty element, some sweet spices, and something else not so easy to define…
  • Finish – Long and strong, chocolate mint

This one takes a bit of time to open up. I remembered it being one of the 1st Port finishes that I really enjoyed – the kind of whisky you want to have in your glass when curling up in an old leather chair with a warm fire, good music, and simply relaxing.

Here’s what the folks at Glenmorangie have to say in their official tasting notes:

  • Colour: Dark gold with a ruby tint.
  • Nose: Dark mint chocolate and Seville oranges mingle with sandalwood and walnut, with a spicy finish of pepper and nutmeg.
  • Taste: Mint chocolate and walnuts envelop the palate, laying the foundations for rose, Turkish delight, and sweet Seville oranges.
  • Finish: Long-lasting, silky aftertaste leaving dark chocolate mints and traces of orange.

What stood out for me was the reference to Turkish delight. Later that evening we enjoyed nutty Turkish delight – absolutely spot on!

We then took a short break from Glenmorangie to compare the Quinta Ruban with a Cragganmore Distiller’s Edition Double Matured Port Finish 40%. Let’s just say it was interesting to contrast and compare, however, the Glenmorangie was the clear winner – a much more interesting and rewarding expression!

Our evening closed with their no-age-statement Sauternes finished Nectar d’Or.

Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or is like sending your senses on holiday to a French pastry shop, where the air swirls with sweet scents, balanced by a soft drumbeat of spice. A truly incredible whisky.

Glenmorangie “Nectar d’Or” Sauternes Finish 46%

  • Nose – Boiled sweets, light yet somehow missing some of the nuanced, complex character of The Original, as it opened – could find a bit of caramel cream
  • Palate – Fruity without it being easy to determine one in particular – like a mixed fruit pie, mixed in were some nuts, cinnamon spice, honey, and ginger
  • Finish – An aftertaste of candy – back to the boiled sweets!

My first reaction was “Citrus, wherefore art thou?” My prior recollection of this expression was of a delightful interplay between citrus and sweet – like a delicious lemon tart. Don’t get me wrong – this is still a fine dram, but I missed what I remembered which had various citrus elements – from kumquat to an Indian sweet lime mosambi.

It could also be tasting order. Most found this rather robust, it was not the delicate elegant 10 year. However, it also didn’t have the richness added by the Sherry or Port. The Sauterne’s sweet white wine influence was more subtle, making this more like the “desert” of our tasting evening.

Overall what a treat to try a Glenmorangie flight like this!

Curious about other Glenmorangie experiences? Then read on…

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Paris Whisky Live 2022 – Lagg Masterclass

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I’ve made no secret of my love affair with Arran whiskies – cemented by time spent on the Island visiting both the Lochranza and Lagg Distillery. So at Paris Whisky Live, I jumped on the opportunity to explore further…

Our guide was Mariella Romano, who joined the group in 2019, and the focus of the Masterclass was to introduce the new expressions from their Lowland Lagg Distillery.

So what did we try? A trio of 1st releases with:

  • Batch 1 – Lagg 3 year 1st Fill Bourbon Cask (Summer 2023) 50%
  • Batch 2 – Lagg 3 year (30 month ex-Bourbon, 6 months Olorosso) 2023 50%
  • Batch 3 – Lagg 3 year (30 month ex-Bourbon, 6 months Roja Red) 2023 50%

We began with the Lagg 3 year 1st Fill Bourbon Cask (Summer 2023) 50% 50 PPM

  • Nose – Herbal notes to start, young, fresh mash, clean and sweet with a grassy rather than medicinal peat, a hint of heather and puff of smoke
  • Palate – Very promising, creamy with a citrus zest
  • Finish – Nicely lingers, more so than I had expected from such a young dram

What we tried was literally bottled the week before! It then officially launched in France on Oct 1, 2022 (after Paris Whisky Live!) as an inaugural limited summer release. Mariella shared that they see their peat as more “Aberdeen west coast style”, gentler than the robust peat monsters some Islay distilleries produce.

She also shared how the idea for Lagg’s full focus on peat began with their experiemnt’s with their Lochranza distillery peat expressions – like Machrie Moor and their Cask Strength. Since deciding to set-up the Lagg distillery, they have stopped producing any new peat expressions at Lochranza.

Next up was the Lagg 3 year – 30 month ex-Bourbon, 6 month Olorosso finish (2023) 50% also 50 PPM.

  • Nose – Mmmmm a chocolaty sweet peat, richer than the 1st dram with loads of dark fruit sherry notes, raisins and sweet spices
  • Palate – Very smooth – the sherry finish works wonderfully with the peat
  • Finish – A lovely cinnamon finish

Delicious! In this case, it was initially matured in bourbon casks before being finished for an additional six months in 55 liter ex-Oloroso sherry casks for 6 months. Mariella also mentioned how they used Concerto barley and peat from the North East of Scotland.

She then shared a virtual tour of the new Lagg distiellery (after some small technical hiccups!). While many interesting stories were shared, one element was the contrast between the “mountain” pure water at Lochranza distillery and Lagg distillery’s use of a borehole with distinctly different taste. Another is how important it is to have the significantly expanded space for cask storage at the new facility.

Mariella also shared that while Lochranza (Arran) whiskies are sweet and easy drinking, the intent for Lagg is not just peat but also a deliberately ‘harsher’ quality.

And with that we moved on to the last whisky, closing with Lagg 3 year – 30 month ex-Bourbon, 6 months Rioja Red 2023 50%:

  • Nose – Dry nutty element, sweet cinnamon, a bit herbal
  • Palate – Curious character – some minerals? Also a bit fruity – mostly dark berries, some oak
  • Finish – Wine followed by a cinnamon finish like the Olorosso

The peat in this was quite subtle – and the ex-Rioja red wine Firkan was a bit curious – particularly on the palate. I wish I had tried this with a bit of water, as have a feeling this one needs to open up a bit to reveal its full character.

It was terrific to have a chance to explore these early Lagg expressions. I’m curious to see how they evolve in the coming years.

In the meantime, I remain a complete fan of Lagg’s big sister Lochranza:

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Gordon + MacPhail Discovery: Aultmore 10 year 43% 

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We began our “proper” tasting with a distillery known for its lighter style – Aultmore.  Part of the Bacardi family, it is known for a lighter, fruity nose and more substantial palate, this Speyside distillery has both official bottlings and can be found in select independent bottlings – like this one from Gordon & Macphail.

So… what did we discover?

Aultmore 10 year 43% 

  • Colour – Yellow gold (0.5)
  • Nose – A lovely fresh green apple, later joined by a pear too. As it opened further, revealed soft French vanilla and cereals, lightly floral – especially jasmin, gentle lemony cream
  • Palate – Delightful crisp pears, fresh wood, some spice – primarily cracked black pepper, more of that cereal (lightly toasted?), then pineapple and apricot, creamy mouthfeel, very smooth and balanced
  • Finish – Sweetwood, fresh herbs, and light spice with a faintly bitter close
  • Water – No inclination to add! It was perfect exactly as it is!

A perfect fresh spring-like dram – a lovely balance, nuanced and most enjoyable. Even going back, it stood the test – remaining a delightful, fragrant, easy-sipping dram with just enough “oomph!” and depth going on to make it interesting.

This was a clear “hit” of the evening – as evidenced by more of a ‘dent’ made into this bottle than the others! And as we are in the summer months, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more occasions to dip into it again!

What do the good folks over at Gordon & Macphail have to say about this expression?

Green apple, vanilla custard, and hints of jasmine, smooth and creamy flavours of ripe peach and pineapple.

A hint of cracked black pepper is followed by a finish of underlying herbal notes and fresh citrus lemon.

All in all, a great start to an evening exploring Gordon and MacPhail’s Discovery range.

Our evening explored a quartet from Gordon & Macphail’s Discovery series.

And what about other experiences with Aultmore? Check out the following:

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Time to explore a new Old Pulteney Pineau des Charentes 46%

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We all have our favorites – particular distilleries that we are simply partial to… I’ll fully admit that Old Pulteney falls into this category for me! So when a “new” expression was released, I thought, why not?

New to the Old Pulteney range, this limited expression kicks off Old Pulteney’s new Coastal Series with plans to release new expressions each year – beginning with a no-age-statement finished in ex Pineau des Charentes wine casks.

I had originally intended to bring it from Deutschland to India, however, after an interesting tasting of several minis one May evening in Nurnberg, decided it would be nice to try an Old Pulteney! Happy I did….

Old Pulteney Coastal Series – Pineau des Charentes 46%

  • Nose – Yellow fruits, grassy meadow, warm honey, peach, soapy candle wax, tinned pineapple, and a bit of white wine spritzer
  • Palate – Also quite fruity, but then had a nice butter almond nuttiness, smooth with a piquant spice at the end… as it rolled around the palate, was even a hint of tobacco leaf
  • Finish – Slightly bitter, reminded of an Earl Grey tea

Not an everyday dram, but interesting. After the 1st tasting, I revisited it again a few weeks later… it grows on you however I have to admit I prefer the “classic” – give me an Old Pulteney 12 year or 17 year any day!

What do the folks at Old Pulteney have to say?

Old Pulteney Pineau des Charentes is a limited edition expression that has been created by firstly maturing in hand-selected American oak casks, before being transferred into ex-Pineau des Charentes casks, which have been handcrafted by using French oak.

Old Pulteney Pineau des Charentes offers a lighter, sweeter taste layered on the classic Old Pulteney base. The result is a beautiful sweetness that perfectly complements Old Pulteney’s signature salty flavour, delivering a wonderful dram.

And their official tasting notes?

  • Colour – Bronz with a pink hue
  • Nose – Fragrant and rich with honey sweetness and vanilla at the base. Intense fruitiness starts jammy and stewed and develops into candied oranges and sticky balsamic raisins. Hints of toasted spices and power pepper complete this stunning profile.
  • Taste – A lingering finish showcases notes of caramelized hazelnuts and ground spices, broadening in sweetness, and then drying ever so slowly towards a savoury finale of coastal minerality.

I purchased this bottle in November 2022 from WhskyFass for EUR 95.

Curious about other brushes with Old Pulteney

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TBWC Macduff 10 year 52%

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Now I will admit to having a mixed experience with Macduff Distillery. Whilst normally Bacardi uses Macduff in blends, you can also find Macduff under the label Glen Deveron or just The Deveron – named after the nearby Devon River. Specifically under the brand Glen Deveron, they are known to have more affordable age statements. However, every time someone says “Oh wow a 20-year-old whisky for only xyz?!” I remind them of the old adage – typically you get what you pay for!
That shared, I trust the folks at That Boutique-y Whisky Company, so when this bottle was on sale from Whic.de, thought why not try?? Especially as 50 cl bottles means you can bring 3-4 bottles into India instead of just 2!

Macduff 10 year Batch 10, 52% (TBWC – Single Malt Scotch Whisky) Bottle108 of 1024, 50ml

  • Colour – Bright golden straw
  • Nose – Initially quite sour, then reminded a bit of Grappa, quite vegetal, some agave or Mescale, capsicum… is that also a whiff of sulfur?? Yikes! That’s much more than a whiff. Egads.
  • Palate – Was that pudina (mint)? It coats the tongue with a texture a bit like ghee, was it like eating sourdough starter, barley, or something a bit bitter? Not very pleasant at all.
  • Finish – Licorice bark, a bit malty
  • Water – Reminded one lady of sniffing oregano oil
You can tell the nose was described as anything but a typical whisky. Remarks such as heartburn, acid reflux, etc were bantered about. The palate was also filled more with questions than answers…
Which is part of why we enjoy tasting together. It is such fun to experience the unexpected and have both very pleasant surprises along with a few duds. You can tell which category this one fell into!
There is also something to be said for the whisky-tasting order. I struggled a bit with this set as initially thought to begin with the Macduff before the Cotswold and English. However in the end decided to go with a simple age progression. Which didn’t do the Macduff any favours…
Let’s just say after the remarkably good Cotswolds, we were again reminded age does not necessarily make it better… In this case, a mere 3-year-old clearly outclassed a 10-year!

What more do the good folks at That Boutique-y Whisky Co have to say? A few words about the distillery but alas not this particular batch!

The Macduff distillery was founded in the 1960s and is kitted out with five stills, four of which have lyne arms that are rather oddly arranged, with one of the wash stills’ lyne arms being U-shaped too, just so they’ll all fit in the still room! They don’t release whisky themselves under their own name – they release it under the name The Deveron. This is why the name Macduff might be more familiar to you from Shakespeare’s play, ‘Macbeth’. We’ve even put one of the deleted scenes from the play on the label of our Macduff bottling. Press the stopper down to hear the director’s commentary from Shakespeare himself (probably a lie).

I picked up this bottle in Germany from Whic.de for Eur 51 during a whisky sale – yes these do exist! But back to my starting comments… sometimes a “deal” is a “deal” for a reason!

We tried it together in Mumbai with the Whisky Ladies in April 2023 together with more bottlings from That Boutique-y Whisky Co:

Curious about other Macduff whisky experiences? Read on:

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Chorlton’s Tullibardine 29 year 47.5%

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Last in our “Swansong” trio celebrating drams of days gone by was a Tullibardine from Chorlton‘s  La Nouvelle Vague series…And why would this whisky qualify for such inclusion? It was completely “mothballed” back in 1995 and wasn’t re-opened for production until 2003. And this particular expression came from 1993!

What did we think?

Tullibardine 29 year (1993) 47.5% 

  • Nose -Shy. waxy crayons, lots of sweetness, could immediately tell this was a well-aged whisky, light caramel, bananas, quite subtle, berries – especially strawberries with pepper, pink Amul strawberry ice cream, Maltese-chocolate creamy fruity filling
  • Palate – On the 1st sip, we found ice cream, some wood, simply delicious, by the 2nd sip we discovered some marvelous spunk and character chased by sweetness – when I later read David’s notes could completely understand where he found the gingerbread & rye… yet still with pastries
  • Finish – Balsa wood finish, dry

What a marvelous malt! There was a delightful combination of indulgent desserts with elements of much greater substance. A truly interesting dram – inviting, enjoyable, and unique. Fabulous.

What did David have to say? The following is an extract from his website…

A characterful but easy-drinking example of this distinctive Highland make. The nose has banana bread, caraway and rye, peanut brittle, honey, olive oil and apricot jam. The palate takes us to a bakery somewhere in central Europe with gingerbread, rye bread, baking spices and honeyed pastries, plus orange cream and sweet Frisian tea.

This hogshead produced 181 bottles at a cask strength of 47.5% and was released for £160 back in the summer of 2022. Thanks to Brexit, I couldn’t purchase it directly, so instead impatiently waited for it to make its way to Whisky.base, where I purchased it in November 2022 for EUR 200 + 18% tax + shipping.

We tried it together in early January 2023, in a Mumbai evening spent exploring “Swansong” drams:

As for other Chorlton bottles from La Nouvelle Vague series? I’ve had the pleasure of exploring a few expressions:

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Swansong – Cambus 29 year, Glenburgie 21 year, Tullabardine 29 year

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Most would be familiar with the term “Swansong” which is the final performance of what was hopefully an illustrious career! This was the theme of a very special whisky-tasting evening early January 2023 in Mumbai – all liquid that marked the “end” of a distillery or that particular “avatar” of the distillery. To make it even more interesting, all were also from “indie” bottlers – from well-established, large-scale to newer, very small-scale.

What did I pick for this carefully curated evening?

Cambus 29 year (1990 / 2020) ex Bourbon Cask No. 93596 52% (Elixir, The Whisky Trail Retro) Lowland

The most obvious example is Cambus distillery. This grain distillery had a mixed history of highs and lows, closing in 1993 with the distillery completely demolished to eventually make way for Diageo’s cooperage.

From Elixir (aka Sukhinder Singh’s continued ventures), the bottle I picked is from their “Whisky Trail Retro” series with fun “Mario gameboy” style labels. Already sold out in the UK, I managed to snag this bottle in Europe for EUR 140 (+tax/shipping). Here I must admit that I was inspired by the remarkable Cambus 29 year tasted at Paris Whisky Live.

Glenburgie 21 year 43% (Gordon & Macphail Distillery Labels) Speyside

Glenburgie is still producing whisky, however, this particular bottle came from before production stopped in 2000, with the distillery being completely rebuilt in 2003/04. Making this spirit from a previous “avatar” of the distillery. My experience with Glenburgies from this period is very positive – summery drams with warm peaches, elegant and classy.

Here I selected a bottle from Gordon & Macphail who do more than “bottle”, they also have a hand in the casks used to mature the whisky. In this case, they also have the “right” to use the distillery label. I purchased this bottle in early 2021 for Eur 110 (+tax/shipping) and have been impatiently waiting for the right opportunity to open! 

Tullabardine 29 year 47.5% (Chorlton) Highland

Last, but certainly not least! I chose to close with a whisky from Tuillabardine distillery. Again you could argue “But hey, they are still producing whisky!” And you would be (partly) correct… however the distillery was completely “mothballed” back in 1995 and wasn’t re-opened for production until 2003. 

My choice for bottler was clear – the very creative Chorlton indie bottler with his eye-catching medieval labels and consistently quality drams. This bottle was acquired in Europe for EUR 200 (+tax/shipping), certainly steeper than my usual choice, but simply couldn’t resist!

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Mumbai Malty Evenings – Claichag Glencoe 43%

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Earlier in the year, we had a bit of an impromptu gathering over an odder assortment of drams. One was a complete mystery! It came from a Scottish Inn known for great bars with extensive whisky collection and hosting of whisky tasting sessions. We had no clue what we were drinking beyond it being from the Highlands and bottled at 43%.

Claichag Glencoe 10 year Highland 43%

  • Nose – Apples, raspberries with vanilla
  • Palate – Chocolate with a peaty palate – what a surprise!
  • Finish – Very ashy finish

At first, we thought it had more of a “Speyside” than “Highland” character… what I found the most interesting is how it was sweetness and light initially on the nose, then more powerful on the palate with a clear peaty stamp veering even further in the peat spectrum with an ashy finish. Going back for the next whiff and sip, we discovered that the more time it spent in the glass, the sweeter and lighter it became with the peat fading further and further into the background.

There was quite a bit of speculation and guessing about this one with no specific conclusion. Pity we didn’t know more, but that’s half the fun – responding to our immediate experience with limited further context!

We tried this together with a new Swedish distillery’s spirits at a very early “pre-whisky“ stage that still showed great promise. Such promise that we were delighted to try an Agitator trio of their “proper” whiskies in Dec 2022, courtesy of a Swedish Whisky Lady – what fun!

We didn’t stop here… we continued on to explore

What fun having an amiable evening wandering through a few interesting blends, single malts, and this mystery dram.

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Paris Whisky Live – Fettercairn 18 + 22 years

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Next in our Paris Whisky Live wanderings was a rather rewarding stop at the Fettercairn booth. So what did we think of our Fettercairn 16, 18, and 22 year vintages?

Fettercairn 18 year 46.8% 700 bottles, to launch “soon” ie post Sept 2022 (approx Eur 200)

  • Nose – Soft, nuanced, fruity, vanilla, puff pastry, some coffee?
  • Palate – Nice, spicy, nutty, chocolate raspberry, black cherry, sweet spices, apple strudel
  • Finish – Follows through…

When we tasted this in September 2022, our guide shared that it was about to be released. It is matured with a combination of 1st fill and refill ex-bourbon American white oak casks and finished in Scottish oak casks.

Fettercairn 22 year 47% (approx Eur 233)

  • Nose – A beautiful burst of tropical fruits, citrus, raisins
  • Palate – Spicy, full-flavoured, fruity and fab
  • Finish – Quite unusual and distinct – I struggled to put my finger (aka “nose”) on it – there was liquorice and marmalade, and something else that I never was able to properly identify

What more do we know? It is from first-fill ex-bourbon casks with no other finishes.

As for the 16 year? I decided to combine my tasting notes from Paris with those from London which you can check out here! Same with our sniff and swish of Warehouse No. 2.

Curious about other Fettercairn expressions? Read on….

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