Black Bull 50 Years Old Sir Nick Faldo (Duncan Taylor)

Black Bull 50 Years Old Sir Nick Faldo (Duncan Taylor) is a blended Scotch from Duncan Taylor. It marries malt and grain whiskies, including spirit from the lost Caperdonich distillery. It is named, like the burn, from the Gaelic for the secret well.

Caperdonich, a Speyside distillery closed in 2002, lends a creamy, fruity depth. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, a soft vanilla beneath the fruit. The light Speyside make gains most of its depth from decades in good oak. With the distillery gone, the casks that remain are a finite record of its make. The oily, waxy texture is a mark of well aged Caperdonich. Years in oak round the spirit, the pear and cream deepening with age. Refill oak lets the soft, fruity Caperdonich character lead the way. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the fruity, waxy core over the decades. It was rarely bottled as a single malt in its lifetime, so most come from independents.

At a hearty 48% it carries real weight. Soft pear, cream and dried fruit run through it, with a waxy, fruity depth. A baked pear and a soft spice lift it. It finishes creamy, fruity and waxy. A characterful blended Scotch drawing on a vanished distillery.