Caperdonich 14 Years Old 1999 (Connoisseurs Choice)

A Caperdonich drawn by the Elgin house Gordon and MacPhail, distilled in 1999, bottled at 46%. Caperdonich, a ghost of Speyside, was demolished in 2011 to make way for a coppersmith's works. It closed in 1902 after the Pattison crash, lying silent for over sixty years.

It was distilled from unpeated malt in tall Glen Grant style stills, for the light, creamy, fruity make Caperdonich is known for. An Oloroso hogshead lent raisin, fig and a savoury edge. By the integrating teens congeners fade and esters build, the creamy, fruity spirit growing rounder. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and coconut over the fruit. It was extended to four stills in 1967, run by only a couple of workers. The light Speyside make gains most of its depth from decades in good oak. The cool Speyside air gave a slow, even maturation in the Rothes warehouses. With Caperdonich demolished, every bottle draws on a finite, dwindling stock.

At an approachable 46% it is soft and balanced. Soft pear, cream and a waxy oil, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Mango, pear and a soft vanilla fill the middle. It finishes creamy, fruity and waxy. This is a creamy, tropical Speyside single malt of real age.