Caperdonich 19 Years Old 1992 Cask #46240 (van Wees)

The bottler van Wees bottled this Caperdonich, a 19 year old, distilled in 1992, from cask 46240, bottled at 46%, one of 319 bottles. Caperdonich made a light, fruity Speyside malt at Rothes until its closure in 2002. Seagram bought it in 1977, and Pernod Ricard closed it in 2002.

The spirit was distilled in tall stills with their spherical condensation zone, building the fruity Caperdonich style. An American oak cask shaped it, soft and creamy beneath the fruit. Through oxidative maturity esters concentrate, pear turning to mango over a waxy, creamy body. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits both bourbon and sherry. The light, creamy spirit takes cask flavour readily while keeping its pear and mint. Active wood frames the fruit without smothering the soft, creamy spirit. It was rarely bottled as a single malt in its lifetime, so most come from independents. Closed in 2002 and later demolished, its profile is fixed for good.

At 46% it is supple and waxy. A creamy, fruity sweetness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Beneath it run pear, cream and a soft mint. A long, creamy finish ends on pear and vanilla. This is a finite single malt from the lost Caperdonich distillery.