Caperdonich 21 Years Old Cask #Batch CP/003

An official release of Caperdonich, a 21 year old, cask Batch CP/003, at 48%. Caperdonich, a lost Speyside distillery in Rothes, fell silent in 2002. It reopened in 1965 to feed Glen Grant's booming Italian trade, and took the Caperdonich name in 1977.

The spirit was distilled from unpeated malt in tall Glen Grant style stills, for a soft, fruity, oily make. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, the oak quiet behind the spirit. Through oxidative maturity esters concentrate, pear turning to mango over a waxy, creamy body. Refill oak lets the soft, fruity Caperdonich character lead the way. Long ageing turns the fresh pear towards mango, beeswax and a polished oak. Years in oak round the spirit, the pear and cream deepening with age. Active wood frames the fruit without smothering the soft, creamy spirit. The light Speyside make gains most of its depth from decades in good oak. No more will ever be made, the distillery silent since 2002.

At a hearty 48% it carries real weight. Mango, pear and a soft vanilla, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The texture is oily and waxy, the fruit lifted by vanilla. A long, fruity finish carries a tropical lift. This is a finite single malt from the lost Caperdonich distillery.