Fettercairn 28 Years Old 1988 Flowers (The Whisky Agency)

A Fettercairn of a 28 year old chosen by the German bottler The Whisky Agency, distilled in 1988, bottled at 49.9%. Fettercairn is a Highland single malt from the foot of the Cairngorms in Aberdeenshire, known for its tropical fruit style. 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, the cooling rings lifting a clean, tropical character. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, the American oak letting the fruit lead. In the oxidative, evaporative years concentration brings dried tropical fruit, a roasted coffee and a soft spice. A gentle maturation suits the light make, the tropical fruit growing richer with time. It was founded in 1824 by Sir Alexander Ramsay, who turned a corn mill at Nethermill into a distillery. The cool Highland air of the Mearns gives a slow, even maturation in the dunnage warehouses.

At cask strength 49.9% it is full bodied. A light, tropical sweetness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A baked pineapple and a gentle spice lift it. The finish runs long, tropical and warming. This is the cooling ring malt of the Mearns.