Caperdonich 50 Years Old 1969 Cask #3253 (Duncan Taylor)

The Huntly bottler Duncan Taylor selected this Caperdonich, a 50 year old, distilled in 1969, from cask 3253, bottled at 47.9%, one of 88 bottles. Caperdonich is a closed Speyside distillery, its stock now finite and dwindling. A few warehouses still stand, but the stillhouse and kiln are long gone.

The spirit was distilled in tall stills with their spherical condensation zone, for a delicate Speyside spirit with a creamy lift. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light vanilla. At this great, fragile age oxidation rules, ethereal esters, beeswax and old polished tannins to the close. Years in oak round the spirit, the pear and cream deepening with age. Its spirit went largely into blends such as Chivas Regal and Royal Salute. Active wood frames the fruit without smothering the soft, creamy spirit. It closed in 1902 after the Pattison crash, lying silent for over sixty years. No more will ever be made, the distillery silent since 2002.

At cask strength 47.9% it is full bodied. Tropical fruit, wax and a creamy oat, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A baked pear and a soft spice lift it. A long, fruity finish carries a tropical lift. This is a rare Speyside single malt from a demolished distillery.