Caperdonich 1977 39 Year (Cadenhead's)

Second dram in the Old and Rare tasting. A whiskey from my birth year... excellent! I'll borrow a bit to introduce this one. Despite being established during a whisky boom in 1898, the distillery operated for only a small portion of its existence. The Pattison Crisis and its profound impact on the industry forced Caperdonich to cease operations in 1902. The distillery remained dormant for a considerable time until 1965, when increased demand revitalized this silent distillery, previously known as Glen Grant Number 2. Refurbished internally, it was revived by Glenlivet Distillers, and this event marked its new name, inspired by its water source. Caperdonich finally became an active distillery and continued production until the end of the millennium, when a change in ownership led to a reduction in distilleries within the Pernod Ricard portfolio. This aging distillery, lacking significant single malt presence or history, was an easy target for closure, and sadly, Caperdonich is no more. Notes of Christmas pudding, raisins, slightly astringent, but water helps. A score of 4.25 to 4.5 for this.

I'm amazed this is listed. A friend procured a 2oz sample last year and brought it for a pre-tasting enjoyment (along with other fine spirits). We divided the small sample into two Glencairns and began. While I didn't record detailed notes, we both concurred this was the finest and most intricate Scotch we'd ever encountered. Absolutely. Just continuous waves of excellence. Too many flavors to enumerate. Up, down, sideways, all in perfect balance. I vividly recall our reactions. For both of us, this was the peak whiskey experience. I realize I've stated this already, but it's true and bears repeating. Perfection is unattainable. This came as close as I expect to get.