Fettercairn 12-year-old, Premier Barrel / 46% / 0.7l

Fettercairn Distillery is based in the Eastern Highlands in the town with which it shares its name.

It has been producing whisky since 1824 and is considered the second officially licensed Scottish distillery (the first was Glenlivet). Since 1973, the distillery has been owned by Whyte & Mackay, whose assets were acquired in 2014 by Filipino brandy producer Emperador Inc. Current production is 2.2 million liters of alcohol per year, the lion's share of which is consumed by Whyte & Mackay blends. The Fettercairn presented here is a proposal from Douglas Laing & Co. in the Premier Barrel series presented in old-fashioned, stoneware decanters. The whisky spent 12 years in a hogshead cask and was bottled at 46% abv, natural color and unfiltered in an edition of 336 bottles.

Nose : barley malt, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, green apples, limes, butter cookies, white pepper, toasted oak and notes of forest floor.

Taste : vanilla, honey, oatmeal, golden syrup, apples, pears, gooseberries, lemon peel, roasted peanuts, white pepper, a touch of cinnamon and oak.

Finish: medium long, with notes of breakfast cereal, brown sugar, vanilla, summer fruits, dried herbs and oak.