Fettercairn 13 Years Old 2009 Tête À Tête (Wemyss)

The bottler Wemyss Malts bottled this Fettercairn, a 13 year old, distilled in 2009, bottled at 55.8%, one of 222 bottles. Fettercairn is a Highland malt of pineapple and citrus, distilled at the foot of the mountains. Its make matures on site in dunnage warehouses, around thirty two thousand casks in all.

The spirit was distilled from unpeated malt in stills cooled by their copper rings, for a clean make of pineapple and citrus. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, the oak quiet behind the fruity spirit. Integration folds eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) into the fruit, the body softer and fuller. Active wood frames the fruit without overwhelming the light Highland spirit. It has been owned by Whyte and Mackay since 1973. It was the second distillery licensed in Scotland after the Excise Act of 1823. A Scottish oak project has planted thousands of native oak saplings beside the distillery.

At a hearty 55.8% it carries real weight. A clean, fruity sweetness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Soft tropical fruit and a vanilla sit behind the cask. A long, fruity finish carries a tropical fruit and a soft spice. This is the light, fruit driven malt of Fettercairn.