Caperdonich 41 Years Old 1972 Cask #6740 (Duncan Taylor)

A Caperdonich drawn by the Huntly bottler Duncan Taylor, distilled in 1972, from cask 6740, bottled at 48%. Caperdonich was the lesser known twin of Glen Grant, on Station Street in Rothes. A pipeline known as the whisky pipe once carried its spirit across the road to Glen Grant.

This was made in tall copper stills for a light, fruity spirit, giving the soft pear and mint of the house style. An American oak cask shaped it, soft and creamy beneath the fruit. Ethereal and fragile, decades draw the malt to a waxy, tropical delicacy of sotolon and old oak. Caperdonich leaned to cream, pear and mint where Glen Grant showed green apple. Slow oxidation over decades draws the creamy spirit towards a waxy, fruity richness. Water came from the Caperdonich Burn, the so called secret well above Rothes. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits both bourbon and sherry. No more will ever be made, the distillery silent since 2002.

At 48%, undiluted, it is deep and fruity. Mango, pear and a soft vanilla, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A baked pear and a soft spice lift it. The finish runs waxy, fruity and soft. This is a single malt from a silent Speyside distillery.