Caperdonich 20 Years Old 1994 (The Whisky Cask)

From the bottler The Whisky Cask, a 20 year old Caperdonich, distilled in 1994, bottled at 54.7%. Caperdonich was the quiet sister of Glen Grant, a Rothes distillery now demolished. Its character was close to Glen Grant but its own, less green apple, more cream, pear and mint.

It was worked through the distillery's four tall stills, for a delicate Speyside spirit with a creamy lift. A refill bourbon hogshead held it, keeping the distillery character to the fore. At oxidative maturity aldehydes and esters lend tropical fruit while ellagitannins add a drying, structured grip. Ethyl esters built over the years lend the pear and tropical fruit of old Caperdonich. Maturation in the cool north east kept the spirit fresh across long years. 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 distillery is gone, demolished in 2011, so what sleeps in cask is all there is.

At a natural 54.7% it is full and oily. Soft pear, cream and a waxy oil, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The texture is oily and waxy, the fruit lifted by vanilla. A long, creamy finish ends on pear and vanilla. This is the soft, fruity ghost of Glen Grant's sister.