Caperdonich 25 Years Old Cask #Batch CA/003

An official release of Caperdonich, a 25 year old, cask Batch CA/003, at 48%. Caperdonich was a Speyside malt distillery, its spirit long destined for blends. Its spirit went largely into blends such as Chivas Regal and Royal Salute.

This was run through the distillery's tall copper stills, giving the soft pear and mint of the house style. Decades in ex-Bourbon oak drew out vanilla and a waxy depth. Oxidative, evaporative ageing turns the malt rich and waxy, ethereal esters and a faint sotolon (maple). The oily, waxy texture is a mark of well aged Caperdonich. Ethyl esters built over the years lend the pear and tropical fruit of old Caperdonich. Caperdonich leaned to cream, pear and mint where Glen Grant showed green apple. It closed in 1902 after the Pattison crash, lying silent for over sixty years. Slow oxidation over decades draws the creamy spirit towards a waxy, fruity richness. No more will ever be made, the distillery silent since 2002.

At 48%, undiluted, it is deep and fruity. Pear, vanilla and a green mint lift, 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 the soft, fruity ghost of Glen Grant's sister.