Caperdonich 38 Years Old 1968 M&H Cask Selection (Taste Still)

A Caperdonich of a 38 year old chosen by the bottler Taste Still, distilled in 1968, bottled at 49.5%, one of 131 bottles. Caperdonich, a ghost of Speyside, was demolished in 2011 to make way for a coppersmith's works. After closure the site was sold to the coppersmith Forsyths, who demolished it in 2011.

Worked through the distillery's four tall stills, to build a clean, waxy, fruity character. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, a soft vanilla beneath the fruit. In its ethereal years the malt is waxy and oxidative, faded esters and a touch of sotolon (maple, spice). The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits both bourbon and sherry. It closed in 1902 after the Pattison crash, lying silent for over sixty years. The cool Speyside air gave a slow, even maturation in the Rothes warehouses. 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.

At a hearty 49.5% it carries real weight. A creamy, fruity sweetness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The texture is oily and waxy, the fruit lifted by vanilla. The close is long, fruit over a gentle oak. This is Caperdonich's creamy, fruity Speyside style.