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Fettercairn and Dalmore Tasting

It is the 27th of May on a Thursday evening 7:00 p.m. and I am attending a whisky tasting provided by Mitchell’s wine merchant and Aaryn is providing the talk.
The venue is the room above the Little Mester’s brewery which has two rooms, a main room and a slightly smaller adjoining room.
I am in the smaller room at a table of five other people.
Tonight we will be sampling these whiskies in this particular order:

• Fettercairn 12 year old
• Dalmore 12 year old
• Fettercairn 22
• Dalmore 15
• Dalmore Cigar Blend
• Fettercairn 16
• Fettercairn Warehouse

Snacks are also provided as is a sample of Little Mester’s brewery and a platter of cheese all for the generous price of fifteen pounds.
A ten per cent discount on all these products immediately follow the tasting session.

Fettercairn is situated in the county of Aberdeenshire and is a small village. The distillery is owned by Whyte and Mackay who also include Dalmore and Jura amongst others in their portfolio (hence Dalmore’s inclusion in this tasting event); the distillery is classed as a Highlands distillery.

Origin

Its history dates back to 1824, when it was converted from a former corn mill by local landowner Sir Alexander Ramsay. The area was rife with illicit distilling in the early 19^th century, and it is said that Ramsay recruited formerly illicit whisky-makers to operate his new venture, which was first licensed to James Stewart & Co the following year.

In 1830, Ramsay sold his Fasque Estate, including the distillery, to Sir John Gladstone, father of the future four-times British Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone. The distillery effectively remained in the hands of the Gladstone family until its closure in 1926, subsequently being purchased by Ben Nevis owner Joseph Hobbs’ Associated Scottish Distillers Ltd in 1939.

The whisky ‘boom’ of the 1960s saw the complement of stills at Fettercairn doubled to four in 1966 and five years later the distillery was acquired by the Tomintoul-Glenlivet Distillery Co Ltd. In 1973, Tomintoul-Glenlivet was purchased by Whyte & Mackay Ltd and Fettercairn has been in their hands ever since.

Gavin Smith via David Leach Distilleries

Fettercairn 12

So let’s start with the first whisky sampled which was the Fettercairn 12 year old. The 12 year old Scotch from Fettercairn has been matured in American white oak, ex-bourbon casks before being bottled at 40% ABV and is £46.50.

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.

An easy whisky to try first, not too harsh at all and easy on the palate. On the nose is a refreshing nectarine, white flowers and milk chocolate that emerge initially. Black toffee and subtle roasted coffee provide darker notes underneath.

On the palate it is a tropical fruit and sticky Jamaican ginger cake that add a sweet and spicy depth which a flicker of bitter herbs and vanilla complement.
The finish is orchard fruits and soft spices that linger.

So now we’re on to Dalmore to sample their whiskies so let’s delve into the history before we begin.

Origin of Dalmore Whisky

The text below is taken verbatim from their official site:

The Dalmore’s heritage dates back to 1263. It was in this year that Colin of Kintail, Chief of the Clan Mackenzie, saved King Alexander III from the fury of a charging stag.
In recognition of this noble act the King granted the Mackenzie Clan the right to use the 12 pointed Royal stag emblem on their coat of arms.
When descendants of the Clan became owners of The Dalmore distillery in 1867, the Royal Stag became the recognisable icon that proudly adorns each bottle of The Dalmore today; an emblem which encapsulates a rich past whilst also embodying a promise that The Dalmore will remain at the pinnacle of single malt.

The Dalmore 12 year Sherry Cask

A brand new addition to the Highland malt maker’s award-winning Principal Collection, the Sherry Cask Select showcases the affinity between The Dalmore and sherry.

This expression begins its journey in American white oak ex-bourbon casks where it spends ten years maturing, laying down the foundations of the distillery’s house style: chocolate, orange and spice. The liquid is then finished in an assemblage of hand-curated sherry barrels from Andalusia in Spain, making this 12-year-old a delicious and decadent drinking experience, full of sweet fruits and autumnal spice.

I found this whisky complex, rich with a very interesting, full-rounded flavour.

Retail price £63.50 and ABV at 43%

Fettercairn 22 years old

A fab Fettercairn here, matured for 22 years in ex-bourbon casks before being bottled up at 47% ABV. The Fettercairn range has slowly been growing over recent years, with a focus on a variety of age statements, and that’s great news for Fettercairn fans. This particular expression shows off the distillery’s fruit-forward side, so you can expect heaps of mango, apple and cherry notes, alongside layers of vanilla, oak and crushed spices. The whisky will cost you £200.

As you would expect a lot weightier than the 12 year old and you can really feel the burn so maybe a drop of water may just help this whisky go down just a notch.

Dalmore 15 year old

The Dalmore 15 year old was first launched in 2007. Matured in Matusalem, Apostoles and amoroso sherry casks, it proffers all those winter spice, orange zest and chocolate notes characteristic of Dalmore.
40% ABV and £72.00.
This whisky was my particular favourite from the tasting I got a lot of flavour from my sample of butterscotch notes.

Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve

This specially crafted whisky has been expertly made to be the perfect accompaniment to the finest of cigars. Suggested as a perfect pairing with the Partagas Series No. 2 cigar, this flavoursome spirit combines the spicy notes of ginger and cinnamon with the atmospheric aroma of autumn leaves and dry woody notes.

Matured initially in American white oak ex-bourbon casks and 30 year old Matusalem oloroso sherry butts, it is then finessed in premier cru Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques.
44% ABV and £85.00 in cost.

This whisky was the favourite of John and Ben who were on the same table as myself.

Fettercairn 16 Year 2020 Release

Aged in American White Oak ex-bourbon casks, before being enhanced in select Sherry and Port casks this whisky comes in a 1 litre bottle.

The colour is amber honey with soft harvest highlights with a taste of vanilla and ginger, with sun-kissed raisins.

The finish is succulent peach, ginger and caramel that gives way to banana, with a chocolate and demerara sugar that delivers.

At 46.4% and retailing at £85.00 from a £100 this whisky was very popular and made the favourite of Josh and Luke that night.

Fettercairn Warehouse 2 Batch 3

The third release Fettercairn Warehouse 2 Batch No. 3 has been crafted using a handpicked selection of Ex-Bourbon Barrels, Rum Barrels and French Red Wine Barriques; filled with spirit that flowed from the Fettercairn stills in 2015 and has since been maturing in Fettercairn Warehouse 2, and bottled in 2022.
Bordeaux Red wine based from Cabernet Sauvignon from the Margaux appellation grapes barriques have been personally selected.

It is a rare and remarkable single malt shaped by its maturation in its own unique dunnage environment and then crafted through the expert combination of three different cask types to reveal a whisky of distinctive character.

50.6% in ABV and £60.00 in cost this was Jon’s favourite as he is a fan of rum so the combination of a whisky being matured in a rum cask pleases him no end.

To cap it all and sum up it was a really enjoyable, value for money night where conversation and whisky flowed.
It has opened my mind to new areas concerning whisky and I will be using that new-found knowledge at work.
My name is Russell Jones and I work at Mitchell’s so feel free to say hello.
See you all at the next tasting.

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