Fettercairn 15 Years Old 2008 Cask #801946 (Finn Thomson)

A 15 year old Fettercairn from the bottler Finn Thomson, distilled in 2008, from cask 801946, bottled at 55.4%, one of 293 bottles. Fettercairn is a Highland malt of pineapple and citrus, distilled at the foot of the mountains. It was founded in 1824 by Sir Alexander Ramsay, who turned a corn mill at Nethermill into a distillery.

Drawn off the stills, the cooling rings raising reflux for a fruity spirit, building the tropical Fettercairn style. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, oak lactones lending vanilla and a little coconut. At oxidative maturity aldehydes lend a nutty edge while ellagitannins add a gentle, drying grip over the fruit. Active wood frames the fruit without overwhelming the light Highland spirit. Its water comes from springs in the Grampian and Cairngorm mountains above the distillery. After Ramsay lost his fortune, the Fasque estate passed to the Gladstone family in 1829.

Bottled at a cask strength 55.4%, it is rich. A clean, fruity sweetness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Beneath it run pineapple, citrus and a soft vanilla. It finishes long, fruity and clean. This is a tropical Highland malt from the foot of the mountains.