Caperdonich 20 Years Old 1994 Cask #96536 (BB&R)

A 20 year old Caperdonich, this distilled in 1994 from the London merchant Berry Bros and Rudd, from cask 96536, bottled at 46%. Caperdonich was built in 1898 as Glen Grant No.2, the sister distillery across the road from Glen Grant. Its spirit went largely into blends such as Chivas Regal and Royal Salute.

It was run through the distillery's tall copper stills, for a soft, fruity, oily make. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, a soft vanilla beneath the fruit. Oxidative maturity brings a waxy, fruity depth, ethyl esters of tropical fruit building over the pear. With the distillery gone, the casks that remain are a finite record of its make. Water came from the Caperdonich Burn, the so called secret well above Rothes. It is named, like the burn, from the Gaelic for the secret well. Maturation in the cool north east kept the spirit fresh across long years. Closed in 2002 and later demolished, its profile is fixed for good.

At an approachable 46% it is soft and balanced. Soft pear, cream and a waxy oil, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A tropical fruit and a gentle oak give it depth. The close is long, fruit over a gentle oak. This is Caperdonich, the lost twin of Glen Grant.