Caperdonich 25 Years Old 1997 Cask #30900 (The Duchess)

From the bottler The Duchess, a 25 year old Caperdonich, distilled in 1997, from cask 30900, bottled at 56.2%, one of 298 bottles. Caperdonich was a Speyside distillery in Rothes, closed in 2002 and since demolished. Its character was close to Glen Grant but its own, less green apple, more cream, pear and mint.

This was run through the distillery's tall copper stills, building the fruity Caperdonich style. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, a soft vanilla beneath the fruit. In the oxidative, evaporative years concentration brings tropical esters of mango and pineapple over a waxy cream. Maturation in the cool north east kept the spirit fresh across long years. Water came from the Caperdonich Burn, the so called secret well above Rothes. The oily, waxy texture is a mark of well aged Caperdonich. It closed in 1902 after the Pattison crash, lying silent for over sixty years. The distillery is gone, demolished in 2011, so what sleeps in cask is all there is.

At its natural 56.2% it is concentrated. A creamy, fruity sweetness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A baked pear and a soft spice lift it. Pear, cream and a soft oak see out the finish. This is a rare Speyside single malt from a demolished distillery.