Caperdonich 38 Years Old 1972 (Connoisseurs Choice)

From the Elgin house Gordon and MacPhail, a 38 year old Caperdonich, distilled in 1972, bottled at 46%. Caperdonich was a Speyside malt distillery, its spirit long destined for blends. After closure the site was sold to the coppersmith Forsyths, who demolished it in 2011.

This was made in tall copper stills for a light, fruity spirit, giving the soft pear and mint of the house style. A sherry cask wrapped the spirit in dried fruit and a nutty depth. Ethereal and fragile, decades draw the malt to a waxy, tropical delicacy of sotolon and old oak. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the fruity, waxy core over the decades. Years in oak round the spirit, the pear and cream deepening with age. Active wood frames the fruit without smothering the soft, creamy spirit. Maturation in the cool north east kept the spirit fresh across long years. Closed in 2002 and later demolished, its profile is fixed for good.

At an easy 46% it is light. A waxy, pear scented fruitiness, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Mango, pear and a soft vanilla fill the middle. Pear, cream and a soft oak see out the finish. This is a rare Speyside single malt from a demolished distillery.