Caperdonich 20 Years Old 1992 Cask #121139 (A.D. Rattray)

This Caperdonich was bottled by A.D. Rattray, a 20 year old, distilled in 1992, from cask 121139, bottled at 59.4%, one of 238 bottles. Caperdonich, a lost Speyside distillery in Rothes, fell silent in 2002. After closure the site was sold to the coppersmith Forsyths, who demolished it in 2011.

This was worked through the distillery's four tall stills, giving the soft pear and mint of the house style. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, the gentle American oak letting the spirit lead. Into oxidative maturity, slow air ingress builds fruity ethyl esters (pear and pineapple) and a waxiness. The oily, waxy texture is a mark of well aged Caperdonich. It was rarely bottled as a single malt in its lifetime, so most come from independents. 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. The distillery is gone, demolished in 2011, so what sleeps in cask is all there is.

Bottled at a cask strength 59.4%, it is rich. Apple, pear and a soft honey, with a soft vanilla from the oak. It is creamy and fruity, the soft spirit shining through. The finish is long, fruity and waxy. This is a creamy, tropical Speyside single malt of real age.