Fettercairn 16 Year Old Sherry and Port Cask Matured Single Malt Highland Scotch Whisky

let’s begin

Matured in Sherry and Port casks, and made from chocolate malted grains, this is a really innovative and intriguing single malt from Fettercairn.

Impactful Highland Malt

Fettercairn Distillery has a long history of distilling, having been founded by Sir Alexander Ramsey. Ramsey was one of the first people to apply for a license to distiller and in 1825 he opened the Fettercairn Distillery, near to the town of Laurencekirk.

The estate that Fettercairn is based on was eventually sold to Sir John Gladstone. This is quite significant at John Gladstone was father to William Gladstone, who would later be elected Prime Minister four times. As Prime Minister, Gladstone implemented laws that were key to the success of the Scotch whisky industry. This included lowering taxes and allowing Scotch to be sold in glass bottles for the first time.

Still Making a Mark

Fettercairn is still a significant distillery and they have been making some really interesting malts. Their range currently has a number of age statemented malts, including a 12 Year Old, 16, 22, 28, 40 and 46 year old. Out of these, the 16, 40 and 46 are finished in sherry and port pipes, to great effect.

Fettercairn produces a fantastic malt and the finishing techniques they use really brings out the flavours.

Their 16 Year Old is also made from chocolate malt, which means the barley has been very heavily kilned, a technique more commonly found in brewing.

Tasting notes for Fettercairn 16 Year Old Sherry and Port Cask Matured Single Malt Highland Scotch Whisky

Bottle cost: £61.05

The nose opens with notes of dried fruit, Christmas cake and cinnamon. It is very sherried and the sweet, spicy heat of the port also brings out some interesting flavours. There is an earthy richness to the aromas.

The palate is equally rich. More sherry and port notes appear, with ginger, oak wood and sweet red wine notes coming out. Vanilla and honey add a lovely sweetness and give the spicy notes a nice edge. Dried fruit, including raisins and figs also appear.

The finish is bold and lingers on dried raisins and apricots.

Fattercairn have a wonderful range of malt under their belt and this 16 year old is full of character. This malt is a good touchstone for how well they make Scotch.

Do you enjoy Fettercairn Distillery whisky? Start the conversation in the comments!

Tags: Fettercairn 16 Year OldHighland Scotch WhiskySherry and Port CaskSingle Malt

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.