FETTERCAIRN 12 YO Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 70 cl

Product Information

Fettercairn is a distillery who’s differences are more visually apparent than most. An open-topped mash tun (always fun to see in operation) produces a cloudy wort – this results in a more malty, nutty and spicy spirit style as opposed to a clear wort which centres on sweetness rather than cereal character. But, perhaps the biggest alteration from the norm comes with Fettercairn’s stills. Fettercairn distillery was founded in 1824 by Alexander Ramsay, owner of the Fasque Estate beneath the foothills of the Grampian Mountains. Following the Excise act of 1823, Ramsay converted an old Corn Mill on his land into a distillery but was sadly unable to make a success of it. By 1829 he had lost his fortune and his estate, distillery included, was sold to the Gladstone Family. Distillation at Fettercairn is still a process of evaporation and condensation – so, as my friends would suggest – exactly the same as everywhere else. However, not only is the distillery’s cooling ring unique, it’s also an integral part of what makes Fettercairn unique – both in terms of industrial innovation and also as a key contributor to their spirit character and whisky style. It’s these differences which keep me visiting distilleries - time and time again. And if we want our whiskies to have marked differences in aromas and flavours, and not become a homogenised corpus of liquid, it’s these differences which should be celebrated. Whiskybase B.V. is the Dutch private limited liability company, having its statutory seat in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and its office at Zwaanshals 530, 3035 KS Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Whiskybase B.V. is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under no. 52072819.

If we decide not to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms, such decision shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.The colour is golden yellow and the nose has a fresh and fruity vibrancy to it. There are immediate aromas of green apple and tinned tropical fruit salad, which are followed by further aromas of honey, vanilla and brown sugar. Underneath are hints of cookie dough, yeast and cinnamon. The Service has been prepared by us solely for information purposes to Members and the Service is based on information we consider reliable and we obtain the contents of the Service from a number of different third party sources (including Contributions), but we do not endorse, support, represent, warrant or guarantee the completeness, truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of the Services and any information therein. Coming forward in time to the 1950s, Fettercairn’s staff was still looking for innovative ways to improve a standard they had been setting for over a hundred years. In the pursuit of making a purer expression of their spirit, Fettercairn learned that pouring water down the still cooled the copper. This in turn, increased condensation inside so only the lightest vapors could rise for collection. This discovery led to the creation of the cooling ring, a copper tube around the top of the still and continuously douses it with water. This unique method is still being used by the distillery today. Mouth: rather weak (unsurprisingly) but pleasantly rounded. Oranges, Panettone cake, candied ginger and vanilla custard again. Soft clove and herbs, now also a slightly rough oaky touch. Metallic hints. A bit of creamy mocha too. The chocolate tones follow through to the taste but swiftly give way to a more pronounced hit of grapefruit. This is paired with a touch of lemon and the citrus flavors leave a sourness that sets your mouth watering. The finish is sharp but not at all unpleasant because it’s coupled with the sweetness of raisins.

Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. Thoughts: It’s actually a pleasant wee sipper of a dram but inevitably struggles to justify the price tag. There’s nothing radical going on but it’s a well executed example of a highland malt flavour profile. There’s some depth to the flavour profile and it feels like some decent casks have gone into it. Regardless of whether the Service offers the functionality to contribute, you are solely responsible and liable for any content and information that you create, upload, post, publish, link to, duplicate, transmit, record, display or otherwise make available on the Service or to other Members, such as chat messages, text messages, videos, audio, audio recordings, music, pictures, photographs, text and any other information or materials, whether publicly posted or privately transmitted (“Contributions”). As opposed to being an entirely different beast, this PX finished Fettercairn clearly presents similarities to its standard 12 year old cousin. The underlying character of malty, yeasty, fruitiness is present and correct – and it’s still interesting – offering more stimulation than many run-of-the mill 12 year old bottlings. But, whether the Pedro Ximenez finish has actually elevated the experience is, to my palate, open to question.Unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise, your use of and membership to the Service are exclusively governed by Dutch law. We shall first try to settle any dispute over a dram of whisky. Disputes that cannot be settled over multiple drams of whisky shall be solely submitted to the court of Amsterdam, The Netherlands unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise. This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. We deliver to a number of international destinations including the USA. Please use the 'Change Location' link above for an estimate in your local currency or find out more about international delivery You are responsible for all activities through your account. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide to us in relation to your account, and for updating it where necessary. You are not allowed to create multiple accounts. We may terminate or temporarily suspend your account to protect you, ourselves or our partners from (suspected) identity theft or other (suspected) fraudulent (e.g. false, misleading, deceptive) activity. You have the obligation to keep your login credentials confidential. You shall not authorize any others to use or access your account. In 1830, Sir Alexander sold the distillery as well as Fasque Estate to Sir John Gladstone, father of William Ewart Gladstone who would be Prime Minister on four occasions over the course of the 19th century and, during which time, he would not only legalize the selling of bottled whisky to the public, but also scrap the Malt Tax.

For the majority of whisky drinkers it is the 12 year old that is most likely to draw attention. I find myself a little concerned with its price point, however, and fear the dreaded ‘p’ word may have been sprinkled liberally over the marketing meetings that led to its release. The premiumisation of whisky is getting rather out of hand of late, with largely unheard of brands suddenly declaring themselves luxury items and hiking their prices accordingly. This is particularly galling with a distillery like Fettercairn, that hasn’t been without image problems in the past. Nevertheless it seems we are expected to forget this and accept the new single malt is worthy of a higher price point. Fettercairn 12 Year Old is part of the new Fettercairn core range launched in August 2018. This was matured in standard American oak bourbon casks and more or less the only accessible expression, the next in line is already 28 years old and around € 600… Talk about upscaling.

Try a Fettercairn 12 Year Old Sample…

The Fettercairn Distillery has some serious history behind it. The business was founded in 1824 by Sir Alexander Ramsay, one of the Scottish landowners who campaigned to license Scotch Whiskey distillation. He was also one of the first to apply for a licence, which he applied to Fettercairn. Interestingly, Ramsay employed illegal whiskey makers to be his first stillmen. He understood that it was they who had the skills and experience needed to make his dream a reality. Taste: The natural weight of the spirit isn’t allowed to shine at 40%. There’s some viscosity, but once it gets beyond the front of the mouth it feels underpowered and rather anaemic. The flavour delivery is better – orange sherbet, stone fruit preserves, dried mangos and a side bowl of stewed currants. Running throughout – characterful distillery notes of maltiness, porridge and yeasty bread - livened by white pepper and allspice. Resting is beneficial, offering an easier equilibrium between the spirit and the cask. It adds orange liqueurs and stem ginger whilst assimilating some of the sourer notes into the sweeter ones. Patience Padawan. Nothing in the Terms shall exclude or limit our liability for fraudulent misrepresentation or for death or personal injury resulting from gross negligence or willful misconduct by us. We may, but are not under any obligation, to release new functionalities and tools or other features for the Service every now and then. Any new functionalities, tools and features shall be part of and governed by the Terms from the moment they are launched and/or available. Further, we reserve the right to modify, change, discontinue the Service, add or remove features, update the Service, change its appearance, temporarily and permanently, at any time, in whole or any part thereof. Without prejudice to the section Liability below, the Service may be temporarily unavailable during maintenance, updates, etc. We shall make reasonable efforts to inform you of any unavailability due to maintenance or updates.

There is a definite sweetness to the nose. The smoothness of milk chocolate and a dash of vanilla give way to more herbaceous tones. The coolness of mint pairs with just a hint of citrus. The finish is on the short side, especially once the sweet and fruity elements fade. A slight bitter and metallic edge appears and this lingers on alongside some delicate baking spices and a faint vegetal note. Whiskybase B.V. (“Whiskybase”, “we” or “us”, company details below) offers a whisky enthusiasts online platform that provides its members access to the most comprehensive, transparent and trusted resource of whisky bottles and allows and stimulates its members to contribute information about whisky bottles to the platform (“Service”). This is a tasty whiskey for sure, but I’m not certain that it would be a go-to for me personally. For my part, I much prefer smoother, creamier whiskies, but this certainly has its virtues. Still, Fettercairn 12 is just a tiny bit too astringent for my palate. If you love that fruity, citrus blast, though I really think you’ll enjoy the 12 year old.If any provision of these Terms is held invalid, the remainder of the Terms shall continue in full force and effect. Nose: nicely fruity, with nectarine and tinned pineapple. Not too much vanilla. Hints of meadow flowers and mint. Behind this bright side there is also a hint of roasted nuts, veggies and a light meaty touch. I’m often asked by my non-whisky friends why I visit so many distilleries. Surely, they say “….they’re all exactly the same, haven’t you seen it all many times before?”. Well, in technical sense yes – water, barley and yeast = whisky – and the processes of mashing, fermentation and distillation are common across all distilleries in their essence. But, it’s the differences – some incredibly subtle – at each and every stage of the whisky making process which result in marked variances of the end liquid. The minutiae of the processes operated across different distilleries * are* different. And they’re important. A change here, or a change there will have a dramatic effect on the flavour and character of the eventual whisky. To the uninitiated it’s easy to understand why things might look the same, but under the hood, there’s a reason why whiskies are different. Each and every Member must be of legal drinking age in its country of residence to be allowed to use the Service. If no such law exists in a Member’s country of residence, the Member has to be over 21 years old to use the Service. We have the right to ask you to provide proof of your age and/or to provide further identification to prevent underage usage and/or for any other legal or legitimate purpose. By using the Service, and by creating an account you represent, warrant and confirm that you are of legal age.