Name: N/A
Region: Highland
Age: 24
Chill-filtered: No
Strength: 44.4%
Batch No.: N/A
Bottle Size: 3cl
Price: £9.58
Nose: Rich, complex, sherry, malt
Taste: Thin, bold, alcohol kick, malt
Finish: Warm, malt, short length
Rating: 5/10
After trying the entry level whisky that Fettercairn have to offer, the Fasque, I decided to sample one of their older offerings I could find, courtesy of Master of Malt. You can tell that it is an aged whisky straight away from the nose, with so much more complexity present, but with the most powerful aroma being malt for me. This maltyness continues onto the surprisingly thin palate; don’t let the thinness fool you though, there is masses of flavour still and a fair kick from the 44.4% Abv, which leads to a nice warm finish, if a little short; the malt notes continue through to the end though.
The addition of water opens the nose up to release yet more malt, as does the the palate and finish. For me this is the overpowering note to the whisky, especially after adding water, one that hides too much of the other flavours. I tried it along side the Fasque as I still have some in and the youth is immediately obvious on the nose and throughout the drink, but it is still pleasant, and at least to me, with more diverse flavours.
Overall I was not impressed with the 24yo given its age and price, at around £129 a bottle, I was hoping for a more complex whisky. Also, surprisingly, I would serve it without the water, even given the kick it has because at least then it has more about it then just malt.
Notes
Distillation Date: 1984