Tasting 6 Fettercairns at CS

I've been enjoying some Fettercairns from my collection lately, and did sample a couple of them to review for this site. Those, one sample from whiskysamples.eu and three currently open Cadenhead's in this tasting.






Fettercairn 23yo 1989-2012 46.3% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#1348

I've had many 1989's from fettercairn, some very good, some not that great, lets see what the great bottlers of Blackadder has chosen. The color is matt golden, with some small cask sediments. It smells of oaky, glue, aniseed, vanilla, furniture polish, oaky, licorice, mint leaves, juniper berries, sweet and incredibly gentle and really stupendous nose. Rich nougat and almonds as well. The taste is sweet, apples, vanilla, green grapes, kiwi, strawberries, fresh, caramel, camphor, a fruity dram. The finish is on grape soda, tonic water, onions and white pepper.

Complex nose, fruity and elegant on the palate, a bit of bite in the finish: 8.5


Fettercairn 16yo 1989-2005 55.9% Scott's Selection

Also distilled in 1989, let's hope the younger age doesn't hold back all those great notes I found in the Blackadder. The color is golden. It smells of tobacco, leather, peppery, bitter herbs, feta cheese, please note that this sample comes from the finish of the bottle. A newly opened bottle will provide a bit more freshness in my recollection. The taste is all on bitter sweet, cactus, licorice, lime zest, stout, guinness, quite a lot of dark beer-notes in this one. Sweet cinnamon, oranges, vanilla, sweet and pleasant finish. The palate is where this whisky hits its strive, the finish and the nose is a bit more disappointing unfortunately.

Another elegant and complex Fettercairn: 7


Fettercairn 10yo 1992-2002 60.2% James MacArthur's Old master's cask#002

This cask was bottled twice, both in 2002 and 2003, and I remember the 2003 version to be superb. The color is light golden. It smells of bitter, peppery notes, grassy, dry, spirity, very raw-ish, rubber, herbal. The taste is sweet, spirity, gin, genever, even vodka, but little whisky notes. Very bitter and spirity, and thats mostly what I get from this one. It's funny to see how a cask bottled twice can be so superb just one year after the first bottling.

Too raw, for a CS Fettercairn, this is a new low by far, for me: 2


Fettercairn 10yo 1993-2003 60.7% Cadenhead's

Cadenhead's have bottled three Fettercairns (or more?) distilled in 1993. After the great 1989s and foul 1992 I hope this year will be another high. The color is light golden. It smells peaty(?!?), oaky, spirity, peppery, austere, pretty straight-forward and rough. The taste is floral and peppery, like some high strength Bladnoch, just with a much more bitter finish. I find it hard to describe it any better. Maybe some water will help. 2 1/2 teaspoons added. Now it turns sweeter, lighter, vanilla, honey, biscuity, grainy. still a bit bitter and harsh, peppery to say the least. A whisky for those who dare.

Nothing refined in this: 4


Fettercairn 13yo 1993-2007 59% Cadenhead's

This cask, a bourbon hogshead have gotten 3 more years to maneuver the spirit. The color is light golden. It smells of vanilla, lemon zest, pastry, bakery, really fresh and clean. Seems to have come a long way since the 10yo, but of course, its not the same cask. The taste is sweet, oaky, citrussy, lemon and grapefruit, ginger, very bitter, vanilla, heather, oaky, drying. I'll add some water. Now it turns very sweet, wheat bread, ginger cookies, syrup, honey, much better actually but you gotta be a bit of a sweet-tooth to really enjoy this.

3 years difference and what a change: 7


Fettercairn 16yo 1993-2009 56.8% Cadenhead's

This one comes from a rum hogshead, and on contrary to what some believe, it is not a finishing, but its been 16 years in a rum hoggie. The color is light amber. It smells of pine oak, cigars, sugary, molasses, leather, ginger, pistachio, corn pastry, taco spices, pork sausage. The taste is all on rum, sweet licorice, raisins, honey, coca-cola, sweet stuff. This is one amazing malt even though it doesn't taste much of malt. I had one Ron Zacapa 21yo the other day, and this isn't far from it. The finish is on lemon meringuie, swet desserts, vanilla, all in all a superb whisky.

I've always wondered why there aren't many rum casks around, I still do: 8.5



Next tasting: Glencraigs from Glenburgie Distillery