Fettercairn 13yo (50%, Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask, Refill Hogs Head, C# 1327, 289 Bts., Distilled 03/91 Bottled 01/05)

An independent bottling of Fettercairn by Douglas Laing & Company under their Old Malt Cask label at 50%ABV, no chill filtration and no colouring. The undiluted nose is strong, mildly spicy (spicy wood notes) along with some cereals (barley and malt) and some sweetness. There is also the faintest hint of some pungent aromas hovering in the back ground along with some green notes; green peas. The diluted nose is much sweeter; honey and orange along with some faint warm bees wax. The undiluted taste is warming with a really solid sweet taste followed some malt and then some chocolate and a hint of the honey once again. It’s quite nice. The undiluted taste is cu gentler and very sweet along with the malt and the chocolate. There are also faint hints of leather and cured but not lit tobacco but these are secondary notes and not unpleasant or over whelming. The finish is mildly malty and sweet quickly followed by the spicy oak notes, the green peas and the hint of orange. It’s quite long and very good, the malt wins through in the end, along with the sweetness.

Happily there are no off notes and a dramatic departure from some of the older and younger official bottlings.

US$82 at Binny’s

Score 87 Points

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