Relaunch: Fettercairn

Since Fettercairn released Fasque & Fior back in 2011, the single malt market has seen or heard precious little from this quirky east coast distillery – until now!

2018 sees Whyte & Mackay raising high stakes with four brand new age-stated, single malt expressions. Starting with a modest core range 12yo, we see a 28yo and a 40yo as bold stepping stones to a grand 50yo. Proposed price guides are reported to be £48, £500, £3.000 and a staggering £10.000 respectively.

I got a preview of the 12 & 28yo.

 

Fettercairn 12yo [2018] Ob. 40% WB0

I never did try a core range age-stated official bottling of Fettercairn. With the 12yo ‘1824’ edition [WB] long since gone, what better dram to have as a precursor to the 28yo than Whyte & Mackay’s new 12yo released in August 2018.

• N: Sherried/bready/porridge-y/raisin-y profile.
• T: Like a rough Dalmore, it’s really sweet and malty with a gooey biscuit-y heart. Thin too, 40% – grrr.
• F: A bitter turn with some bite. The thinness continues to be marked.
• C: Boy, does Paterson know about sweetness. Surprisingly tasty.

Scores 82 points

 

Fettercairn 28yo [2018] Ob. 42%

Also released in August [2018] at +/- £500 rrp.

• N: Plenty to ‘stew over’, mainly concentrated around a rich fruity, candid distillery character with a bready/bread crumbs/floury/cereal/paper-y complex – in a good way.
• T: Delivery speaks of a tempered sharpness, leading to more bread and lots of old bitter-sweet sherry. Some may say there are signs of tiredness at the core.
• F: Finishes soft & old on sweet-bitter, vanilla<sherried dusty raisins.
• C: Notwithstanding certain concerns, this is a pleasing Paterson-ised/blended moorish quaffer.

Scores 87 points

 

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