Caperdonich 18 Years Old 1994 Cask #96532 (Kintra Whisky)

This Caperdonich was bottled by the bottler Kintra Whisky, an 18 year old, distilled in 1994, from cask 96532, bottled at 47.9%, one of 75 bottles. Caperdonich was the quiet sister of Glen Grant, a Rothes distillery now demolished. It closed in 1902 after the Pattison crash, lying silent for over sixty years.

This was worked through the distillery's four tall stills, for a delicate Speyside spirit with a creamy lift. An American oak cask shaped it, soft and creamy beneath the fruit. Oxidative maturity brings a waxy, fruity depth, ethyl esters of tropical fruit building over the pear. The light, creamy spirit takes cask flavour readily while keeping its pear and mint. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the fruity, waxy core over the decades. The cool Speyside air gave a slow, even maturation in the Rothes warehouses. It is named, like the burn, from the Gaelic for the secret well. With Caperdonich demolished, every bottle draws on a finite, dwindling stock.

At a full 47.9% it is bold yet fruity. Cream, orchard fruit and a gentle spice, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A tropical fruit and a gentle oak give it depth. A long, fruity finish carries a tropical lift. This is Caperdonich, the lost twin of Glen Grant.