FETTERCAIRN DISTILLERY ANNOUNCES NEW 16 YEARS OLD 2021 LIMITED EDITION
2021 marks the second release in the annual series, which showcases different maturation journeys from the distinctive distillery character
Following the success of the inaugural Fettercairn 16 Years Old last year, the distillery has today announced the release of its successor. The annual series celebrates different maturation stories, whilst continuing to showcase the distillery’s tropical style achieved from the distinctive copper cooling ring distillation process.
This latest release unites both Sherry-matured and Sherry-finished casks to create a truly refined, balanced yet classic combination of rare Fettercairn and Sherry styles. The hand-selected casks from a small, family run Bodega in Jerez include first fill Oloroso, refill Oloroso and first fill aged Palo Cortado Sherry butts, which marry together seamlessly to enhance the distinctive distillery character.
These rare, never to be repeated casks were selected with a focus on retaining the natural beauty and balance of the Fettercairn tropical house style, while taking on the bold sweetness of the dark and nutty Oloroso. This is complemented by refined vanilla and citrus notes from the aged Palo Cortado butts, which add complexity and depth to the ripe exotic fruit characters typically found in the Fettercairn spirit when it reaches its mid-late teens.
Bottled at 46.4%, natural in colour and non-chill filtered, this 16 Years Old boasts rich honey and bronzed hues. On the nose, sugared almonds, dried fruit and aged wood feature harmoniously, whilst on the palate, a myriad of Alphonso mango, rich citrus zest and apricots are balanced with walnut, coffee and liquorice notes giving way to salted caramel, sandalwood and iced ginger cake on the finish.
Gregg Glass, Master Whisky Maker, said, “This one-off Fettercairn 16 Years Old limited edition was borne from fully-matured Sherry casks combined with hand-selected, rare and old, Oloroso and Palo Cortado Sherry butts. For me, this was about retaining the natural beauty and balance of our Fettercairn tropical house style while elevating the pure beauty and refinement of select, aged Palo Cortado and Oloroso casks. Combining these elements allow us to share another aspect and dimension to our truly unique warehouse stocks at Fettercairn.”
Kirsteen Beeston, Head of International Malts at Whyte and Mackay, said, “The enthusiasm and love we saw for our first 16 Years Old reinforced our desire to create whiskies inspired by our enlightened whisky making philosophy. This 16 Years Old reveals finely balanced tropical and soft spice flavours and showcases the approach we take to making single malt. This time around, we’ve called on rare Palo Cortado which is an elegantly dry Sherry alongside the dark richness of Oloroso, to add a special flair to this single malt and showcase the excellent maturation expertise coupled with the ripe tropical distillery character when the spirit reaches the late teen years. We are confident that this year’s 16 Years Old will be another Fettercairn release that excites and enthrals whisky drinkers.”
Fettercairn 16 Years Old is available across Europe including France, UK, the Netherlands, Germany Belgium from December, extending to Global Travel Retail and key Asia markets into 2022, at an RSP of £69. The GTR edition will be in 1L formats with an RSP of £79.
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About Fettercairn
Our founder, Sir Alexander Ramsay, was one of the Scottish landowners who campaigned for the licensing of Scotch Whisky distilling. In 1824 Fettercairn he established the Fettercairn Distillery, in the Northeast of Scotland; it was to become one of the first licensed single malt distilleries. Despite his campaigns for regulation, Ramsay recruited illicit whisky makers as his first stillmen, knowing only they had the knowledge and experience required to make great whisky. From our very beginnings, we’ve been doing things a little differently in the pursuit of great whisky.
In the mid-1950s, the whisky makers at Fettercairn experimented, seeking ways to create a purer expression of their spirit. They found that pouring water down the still cooled the copper, increasing condensation inside so only the lightest vapours could rise for collection. They fashioned a copper tube around the top of the still to continually douse it with crystal clear mountain water. This simple yet ingenious engineering feat not only creates a purer expression of our whisky, but beautiful oxidized patina of the copper with shades of teal, brushed cooper and white proudly marking our stills. To this day our copper cooling ring remains unique in Scotch whisky making.
Today the Fettercairn Distillery continues this trend of ingenious thinking and is the home of enlightened whisky making, where experimental and considered, open minded innovation provides inspiration in the creation of the most exceptional and rare single malt whiskies. Driven by the idea of entire craft, there is an inherent commitment to the land and the idea of nurturing and embracing every single part of the process, from forest to field to Fettercairn.
As part of this philosophy, we are always discovering and learning and we use this to feed our imagination and passion to create distinct whiskies with a surprising tropical character.
