Fettercairn 16 Year Old Batch 2 - 46.4%

 

From the distillery

A combination of Oloroso and Bourbon Barrels are filled with Fettercairn spirit in 2004 & 2005. A proportion of this liquid is then transferred into aged and rare Oloroso and Palo Cortado Sherry Butts.

Nose: Sugared almonds, dried fruits & aged wood.
Taste: Alphonso mango, rich citrus zest, apricots and sun-kissed raisins balanced with walnut, light roasted coffee, cacao and antique liquorice notes. 
Finish: encompasses salted caramel, sandalwood and iced ginger cake.

Tasting Notes:

Appearance: Honey gold, forms beads quickly which fall as slow, thin legs.

Nose: A combination of tropical fruit, lemon zest, apricot, honey sweetness, a hint of almond and old oak.

Palate: A mouthfeel which could be described as slightly chewy, roasted pineapple, tropical fruit, dried raisins and apricot, ginger spice.

Finish: Dried fruit lingers, together with a caramel mocha note, a mild saltiness, ginger spice and old wood.

Summary: This is the second release of this annual expression, and differs in that it doesn’t use the chocolate malted barley of the first release. It’s rich, complex and packed with flavour from start to finish. Despite the use of aged sherry casks, with some of the Palo Cortado casks being up to 60 years old, this is by no means a sherry bomb. Instead the notes add complexity rather than dominate the spirit. 

Overall, this is a lovely, well balanced, quality whisky, and at a price under £70 is also very affordable. For me, this was the real star of the tasting session and a whisky I would very happily purchase.

This sample was part of a 5 dram tasting pack, purchased from The Spirits Embassy and used for a tasting session with Andrew Lennie, Brand Ambassador at Fettercairn Distillery.

If you would like more information on this whisky, or the Fettercairn distillery, follow the link to the company website.