FETTERCAIRN 12 YO Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 70 cl

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This is a tasty whiskey for sure, but I’m not certain that it would be a go-to for me personally. For my part, I much prefer smoother, creamier whiskies, but this certainly has its virtues. Still, Fettercairn 12 is just a tiny bit too astringent for my palate. If you love that fruity, citrus blast, though I really think you’ll enjoy the 12 year old. The finish is on the short side, especially once the sweet and fruity elements fade. A slight bitter and metallic edge appears and this lingers on alongside some delicate baking spices and a faint vegetal note. Unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise, your use of and membership to the Service are exclusively governed by Dutch law. We shall first try to settle any dispute over a dram of whisky. Disputes that cannot be settled over multiple drams of whisky shall be solely submitted to the court of Amsterdam, The Netherlands unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise. For the majority of whisky drinkers it is the 12 year old that is most likely to draw attention. I find myself a little concerned with its price point, however, and fear the dreaded ‘p’ word may have been sprinkled liberally over the marketing meetings that led to its release. The premiumisation of whisky is getting rather out of hand of late, with largely unheard of brands suddenly declaring themselves luxury items and hiking their prices accordingly. This is particularly galling with a distillery like Fettercairn, that hasn’t been without image problems in the past. Nevertheless it seems we are expected to forget this and accept the new single malt is worthy of a higher price point.

Thoughts: It’s actually a pleasant wee sipper of a dram but inevitably struggles to justify the price tag. There’s nothing radical going on but it’s a well executed example of a highland malt flavour profile. There’s some depth to the flavour profile and it feels like some decent casks have gone into it. In 1830, Sir Alexander sold the distillery as well as Fasque Estate to Sir John Gladstone, father of William Ewart Gladstone who would be Prime Minister on four occasions over the course of the 19th century and, during which time, he would not only legalize the selling of bottled whisky to the public, but also scrap the Malt Tax. Nose: nicely fruity, with nectarine and tinned pineapple. Not too much vanilla. Hints of meadow flowers and mint. Behind this bright side there is also a hint of roasted nuts, veggies and a light meaty touch.Taste: The natural weight of the spirit isn’t allowed to shine at 40%. There’s some viscosity, but once it gets beyond the front of the mouth it feels underpowered and rather anaemic. The flavour delivery is better – orange sherbet, stone fruit preserves, dried mangos and a side bowl of stewed currants. Running throughout – characterful distillery notes of maltiness, porridge and yeasty bread - livened by white pepper and allspice. Resting is beneficial, offering an easier equilibrium between the spirit and the cask. It adds orange liqueurs and stem ginger whilst assimilating some of the sourer notes into the sweeter ones. Patience Padawan. Our Service is an online platform which provides Members with information (e.g. bottle facts, market-indices, market values and prices) on (mostly) whisky and allows Members to add information to the platform. We do not sell, nor does the Service provide any option to buy, any alcoholic products.

The 12 year old Scotch from Fettercairn has been matured in American white oak, ex-bourbon casks before being bottled at 40% ABV.

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The chocolate tones follow through to the taste but swiftly give way to a more pronounced hit of grapefruit. This is paired with a touch of lemon and the citrus flavors leave a sourness that sets your mouth watering. The finish is sharp but not at all unpleasant because it’s coupled with the sweetness of raisins. The Fettercairn Distillery has some serious history behind it. The business was founded in 1824 by Sir Alexander Ramsay, one of the Scottish landowners who campaigned to license Scotch Whiskey distillation. He was also one of the first to apply for a licence, which he applied to Fettercairn. Interestingly, Ramsay employed illegal whiskey makers to be his first stillmen. He understood that it was they who had the skills and experience needed to make his dream a reality.

Fettercairn 12 Year Old is part of the new Fettercairn core range launched in August 2018. This was matured in standard American oak bourbon casks and more or less the only accessible expression, the next in line is already 28 years old and around € 600… Talk about upscaling. Distillation at Fettercairn is still a process of evaporation and condensation – so, as my friends would suggest – exactly the same as everywhere else. However, not only is the distillery’s cooling ring unique, it’s also an integral part of what makes Fettercairn unique – both in terms of industrial innovation and also as a key contributor to their spirit character and whisky style. It’s these differences which keep me visiting distilleries - time and time again. And if we want our whiskies to have marked differences in aromas and flavours, and not become a homogenised corpus of liquid, it’s these differences which should be celebrated. The following indicators should be taken as only a guide and not a set of hard and fast rules. Some "premium" whiskeys really are quite terrible, while some mass market products are good enough to pour into a decanter and serve to the Duke of Edinburgh. A+: A masterpiece and one of the ten best whiskeys of its type. Above five stars. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid, the remainder of the Terms shall continue in full force and effect. Whiskybase B.V. (“Whiskybase”, “we” or “us”, company details below) offers a whisky enthusiasts online platform that provides its members access to the most comprehensive, transparent and trusted resource of whisky bottles and allows and stimulates its members to contribute information about whisky bottles to the platform (“Service”).

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As opposed to being an entirely different beast, this PX finished Fettercairn clearly presents similarities to its standard 12 year old cousin. The underlying character of malty, yeasty, fruitiness is present and correct – and it’s still interesting – offering more stimulation than many run-of-the mill 12 year old bottlings. But, whether the Pedro Ximenez finish has actually elevated the experience is, to my palate, open to question. Whiskybase B.V. is the Dutch private limited liability company, having its statutory seat in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and its office at Zwaanshals 530, 3035 KS Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Whiskybase B.V. is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under no. 52072819.

Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. I’m often asked by my non-whisky friends why I visit so many distilleries. Surely, they say “….they’re all exactly the same, haven’t you seen it all many times before?”. Well, in technical sense yes – water, barley and yeast = whisky – and the processes of mashing, fermentation and distillation are common across all distilleries in their essence. But, it’s the differences – some incredibly subtle – at each and every stage of the whisky making process which result in marked variances of the end liquid. The minutiae of the processes operated across different distilleries * are* different. And they’re important. A change here, or a change there will have a dramatic effect on the flavour and character of the eventual whisky. To the uninitiated it’s easy to understand why things might look the same, but under the hood, there’s a reason why whiskies are different. It may not be a massive price jump but it is a jump nonetheless, and when you consider that Springbank and Ardbeg, the two nearest in price are bottled un-chill-filtered at 46%, while Fettercairn is diluted to 40%, the difference looks all the more dramatic. We may sell, license, transfer, assign or in any other way dispose of the Service (including Members) to any third party without any notification to you, e.g. (but without limitation) in connection with any reorganization, restructuring, merger or sale, or other transfer of assets. Nothing in the Terms shall exclude or limit our liability for fraudulent misrepresentation or for death or personal injury resulting from gross negligence or willful misconduct by us.