Caperdonich Single Cask Release (Peated) 23 Years Old 1996

This official peated Caperdonich, a 23 year old, from 1996, cask 4897, at 58.8%, 246 bottles in all. Caperdonich stood opposite Glen Grant in Rothes, built to share in its sister's success. It closed in 1902 after the Pattison crash, lying silent for over sixty years.

Worked through the tall stills from peated malt, to build a lightly peated, fruity character. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light vanilla. In these late years the spirit concentrates to a waxy, tropical depth held in an ellagitannin frame. Ethyl esters built over the years lend the pear and tropical fruit of old Caperdonich. Years in oak round the spirit, the pear and cream deepening with age. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, which is why it suits both bourbon and sherry. After closure the site was sold to the coppersmith Forsyths, who demolished it in 2011. No more will ever be made, the distillery silent since 2002.

Bottled at a cask strength 58.8%, it is rich. Creamy fruit and a soft peat, with a gentle oak sweetness. Soft smoke and a waxy pear sit behind the cask. A long, gently smoky finish carries a tropical lift. This is the rare smoky face of lost Caperdonich.