Origin: Highlands(Scotland)
Tyoe: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 55.2%ABV
Ageing cask: Ex-Sherry Oloroso finish
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Alistair Walker Whisky Company
Average price: € 129.00
Official website: www.alistairwalkerwhisky.com
Vote: 87/100
Fettercairn is a distillery that, all things considered, doesn’t yet enjoy so much credit among aficionados, although in recent times, thanks to an intelligent relaunch of the brand with an entirely agreeable view to sustainability, it has certainly gained in visibility.
We confidently confess that the first Fettercairn we drank was the 16yo single cask ex sherry offered in 2021 by Morisco Spirits. Since we have fond memories of it, we are particularly curious to taste this 14yo also from cask ex oloroso sherry, selected by one of our favourite IBs, Alistair Walker.
Distilled on 5 September 2007 and bottled in December 2021 at 55.2% ABV in its natural colour and without chill-filtration, in 622 bottles still available, this is Infrequent Flyers release no. 70.
Tasting notes
The colour is somewhere between chestnut honey and ebony.
On the nose, the very first impressions are of dried figs and sultanas, before the perfectly integrated ‘tannery’ scents of leather and worked hides take over. Dried fruit (walnuts and almonds) is a typical carry-over from the ex-Oloroso barrels, as are milk chocolate and caramel. Malaga, sugared almond and cappuccino, with a floral lunge of jasmine and a hint of white pepper, complete a very interesting and harmonious olfactory picture.
On the palate, dried fruit is still very present, in the form of almonds in particular, along with dates, caramel and cream. There is always pepper to enliven the profile, before a citrus touch (orange peel) and an aroma closely resembling that of an over-sweetened coffee. As on the palate, the alcohol content is lacking.
The medium-length finish is under the banner of caramel (salty this time) and coffee (with a little less sugar), while the sprinkling of pepper gives the impression of drying out the mouth and preparing it for the next sip.
Picking up the notes written for Andrea Morisco’s 16yo, we realise that there are several common perceptions. The only notable difference lies in the fact that while Andrea’s had seemed to us a sharper and less accommodating whisky, this one tends to be fatter and gluttonous. They remain two fascinating propositions that also share that relentless drive to drink that we call beauty.