Caperdonich 21 Years Old Cask #Batch CP/002

This official Caperdonich, a 21 year old, cask Batch CP/002, at 48%. Caperdonich, a ghost of Speyside, was demolished in 2011 to make way for a coppersmith's works. It reopened in 1965 to feed Glen Grant's booming Italian trade, and took the Caperdonich name in 1977.

The spirit was distilled from unpeated malt in tall Glen Grant style stills, building the fruity Caperdonich style. A refill bourbon hogshead held it, keeping the distillery character to the fore. Oxidative maturity brings a waxy, fruity depth, ethyl esters of tropical fruit building over the pear. A slow maturation suits the delicate, creamy make, the fruit turning tropical with time. Caperdonich leaned to cream, pear and mint where Glen Grant showed green apple. It is named, like the burn, from the Gaelic for the secret well. Its spirit went largely into blends such as Chivas Regal and Royal Salute. No more will ever be made, the distillery silent since 2002.

At 48%, undiluted, it is deep and fruity. Apple, pear and a soft honey, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The mouthfeel is waxy, the fruit carried on a creamy body. The close is long, fruit over a gentle oak. This is Caperdonich, the lost twin of Glen Grant.