Caperdonich 18 Years Old 1994 Cask #DL 8475 (Douglas Laing)

The Glasgow bottler Douglas Laing selected this Caperdonich, an 18 year old, distilled in 1994, from cask DL 8475, bottled at 50%, one of 297 bottles. Caperdonich was the lesser known twin of Glen Grant, on Station Street in Rothes. It was rarely bottled as a single malt in its lifetime, so most come from independents.

Drawn off the tall stills on Caperdonich Burn water, for a delicate Speyside spirit with a creamy lift. First fill bourbon gave it a fuller vanilla and a touch of coconut. Oxidative maturity brings a waxy, fruity depth, ethyl esters of tropical fruit building over the pear. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and coconut over the fruit. A few warehouses still stand, but the stillhouse and kiln are long gone. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits both bourbon and sherry. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the fruity, waxy core over the decades. Closed in 2002 and later demolished, its profile is fixed for good.

At 50%, undiluted, it is deep and fruity. A waxy, pear scented fruitiness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The mouthfeel is waxy, the fruit carried on a creamy body. A long, fruity finish carries a tropical lift. This is Caperdonich's creamy, fruity Speyside style.