Fettercairn 11yo 56.7% ABV (Cadenhead’s)

BRAND / DISTILLERY – FETTERCAIRN, AGE – 11 years old, VINTAGE – 2007, BOTTLED – 2019, CL – 70cl, %ALC – 56.7%, BOTTLER – Cadenhead’s –, EXTRA INFO – Small Batch, COUNTRY – Scotland, REGION – Highland.

Appearance

Very light gold in colour, white wine like, the thick swirl line beads up immediately. It drops several very thick legs, and teardrops hang below it also. 

Nose

There is an unusual sweetness about the nose, that I can’t place at the moment. There is a touch of mezcal in the nose, it’s a little botanical too, perhaps the sweetness is leaning towards Turkish delight, and slowly an oiled timber aroma appears. 

More time and it’s becoming floral, with dry grass. The botanicals are becoming stronger for me too. The last I’m getting on the nose is hot mashed potato, which is a particular favourite of mine.

Palate

First off, nice mouthfeel, and it’s real tussle of sweet and spice. Strawberry lace sweets and strawberry jam tarts, plenty of cinnamon, root ginger, though not too much, cardamom, and there’s a little drying too.

It’s super to drink at this ABV, and more time brings fruit cocktail syrup from a can, stoned fruits, especially pears for me. The sweetness and spices still continue to wrap around each other, those bourbon cask spices are wonderful. Royal icing, like the hard white topping on some cherry Bakewells is definitely here.

Finish

The finish is long side of medium in length, and it does push into pecans, and hazelnut in black coffee, and liquorice hand rolling cigarette papers.

My thoughts

Firstly i need to say that this is one of my bottles, and it was bought after doing much homework looking for a bottle. This choice was partly because i am a Fettercairn whisky fan, it’s also from a blending of 3 ex bourbon casks, my favourite cask type, it’s cask strength, and naturally presented colour and filtration wise. This was in serious contention with a quite different bottle of whisky, and after deliberating the pro’s and con’s of both i bought this one.

I’m rather pleased i went for this bottle, it’s certainly a spicy ex bourbon spice bomb, and it has wonderful fruit flavours, especially strawberries and fruit cocktail medley. The mouthfeel is very nice and the length is quite long too. Overall a cracking dram that i’m very pleased to have purchased, i wish i’d bought two to be honest, one will have to do.