Caperdonich 27 Years Old (49.2%)

This official Caperdonich, a 27 year old, at 49.2%. Caperdonich was a Speyside malt distillery, its spirit long destined for blends. It reopened in 1965 to feed Glen Grant's booming Italian trade, and took the Caperdonich name in 1977.

Worked through the distillery's four tall stills, for the light, creamy, fruity make Caperdonich is known for. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, the gentle American oak letting the spirit lead. In these late years the spirit concentrates to a waxy, tropical depth held in an ellagitannin frame. Long ageing turns the fresh pear towards mango, beeswax and a polished oak. It was extended to four stills in 1967, run by only a couple of workers. It was rarely bottled as a single malt in its lifetime, so most come from independents. With the distillery gone, the casks that remain are a finite record of its make. With Caperdonich demolished, every bottle draws on a finite, dwindling stock.

Undiluted at 49.2%, it is layered. A waxy, pear scented fruitiness, 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 a finite single malt from the lost Caperdonich distillery.