Caperdonich Batch 2 (TBWC)

The bottler That Boutique-y Whisky Company bottled this Caperdonich, bottled at 46.2%, one of 45 bottles. Caperdonich was the lesser known twin of Glen Grant, on Station Street in Rothes. Its spirit went largely into blends such as Chivas Regal and Royal Salute.

Distilled from unpeated malt in tall Glen Grant style stills, giving the soft pear and mint of the house style. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, the gentle American oak letting the spirit lead. Without an age statement, vanillin sweetness and an oily body point to good years in oak. Maturation in the cool north east kept the spirit fresh across long years. Water came from the Caperdonich Burn, the so called secret well above Rothes. Caperdonich leaned to cream, pear and mint where Glen Grant showed green apple. A slow maturation suits the delicate, creamy make, the fruit turning tropical with time. Years in oak round the spirit, the pear and cream deepening with age. No more will ever be made, the distillery silent since 2002.

At an easy 46.2% it is light. Cream, orchard fruit and a gentle spice, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Beneath it run pear, cream and a soft mint. The finish runs waxy, fruity and soft. This is the soft, fruity ghost of Glen Grant's sister.