Fettercairn 10 Years Old 2012 Cask #DL 16916 (Provenance)

The Glasgow bottler Douglas Laing bottled this Fettercairn, a 10 year old, distilled in 2012, from cask DL 16916, bottled at 46%, one of 422 bottles. Fettercairn is a fruity Highland single malt made at one of Scotland's oldest licensed distilleries, founded in 1824. It was the second distillery licensed in Scotland after the Excise Act of 1823.

The spirit was drawn off the stills, the cooling rings raising reflux for a fruity spirit, building the tropical Fettercairn style. First fill bourbon gave a fuller vanilla and a touch of coconut from the lactones. By the integrating teens congeners fade and esters build, the tropical, fruity spirit growing rounder. Active wood frames the fruit without overwhelming the light Highland spirit. American oak suits the tropical make, lending vanilla and coconut over the fruit. The cool Highland air of the Mearns gives a slow, even maturation in the dunnage warehouses.

Reduced to 46%, it is mellow. Mango, citrus and a soft honey, with a soft vanilla from the oak. It is fruity and tropical, the light spirit shining through. The finish runs long, tropical and warming. This is a light, tropical Highland single malt.