Fettercairn 12 Years Old 2009 Cask #1097 (A.D. Rattray)

A Fettercairn of a 12 year old chosen by the bottler A.D. Rattray, distilled in 2009, from cask 1097, bottled at 58.8%, one of 315 bottles. Fettercairn is a light, fruit driven Highland single malt from the village of Fettercairn. Its water comes from springs in the Grampian and Cairngorm mountains above the distillery.

It was worked through the cooling ring stills for a clean, fruity make, for a light, fruit driven spirit. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, oak lactones lending vanilla and a little coconut. Integration folds eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) into the fruit, the body softer and fuller. The light, fruity make takes cask flavour well while keeping its pineapple and citrus. In 2018 the distillery relaunched with a new core range under maker Gregg Glass. Its make matures on site in dunnage warehouses, around thirty two thousand casks in all.

At a hearty 58.8% it carries real weight. A light, tropical sweetness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Soft tropical fruit and a vanilla sit behind the cask. The finish is rounded, tropical and gently spiced. This is Fettercairn's pineapple led Highland style.