Fettercairn 12 Year Pedro Ximénez Sherry Cask Edition

Nose: Very malty, with grapes, plums, vanilla, caramel, milk chocolate, and an oaky character providing a grounding base. Adding a splash of water completely muted the aroma. Palate: The initial taste is sweet, dominated by malted milk, vanilla extract, and ripe stone fruits. Berries emerge as it develops, along with caramel toffee sweetness and a subtle hint of mild cinnamon spice. The texture is acceptable but leans towards a slight thinness. Diluting it makes the profile incredibly mild and renders it as sippable as a soft drink. Finish: Short. The toffee and berry notes from the palate dissipate rapidly, leaving a faint citrus bitterness and tannin in the aftertaste. Water completely eliminates the bitter note. The nose is inviting and offers comforting scents that are hard to resist; however, this spirit is almost excessively accommodating and approachable. What I mean is that it resembles the nose of a good blended scotch rather than a single malt. The palate is similarly very pleasant, but I felt it was slightly let down by the standard proof and short finish. My experience with Fettercairn is limited, and the older expressions I've sampled were, at best, average. This is the first from their more recent lineup, and I'm favorably impressed. However, adding water causes it to lose all character and become a very "generic" dram. On the other hand, it pairs exceptionally well with ice and Coke as a long drink (but is that a compliment?). It's a better-than-average, functional sherry-and-malt experience that could be criticized on several fronts, yet I found myself thoroughly enjoying it. It's a highly drinkable session whiskey suitable for anyone, but its purchase value would depend entirely on the price. I acquired it on sale at Sydney airport duty-free, and at AUD$80 for a 1-liter bottle (reduced from $120), it offered excellent value and was a superior choice to any of the blended scotches available. “Above Average”: 82/100 (3.25 stars)

Aroma: Toasted oak, vanilla, grain husks, malt, caramel. Faint hints of orchard fruit and berries with honey. Palate: Rich, with berries and black cherries. Plum jam, fruit candies, honey, and maple syrup. Oak, vanilla, Demerara sugar, and baking spices (allspice and cinnamon). Finish: A short finish. Becomes sweeter on the finish, with more berry and cream flavors and Campino candies. A good amount of sweet spice and cinnamon, followed by waves of grapefruit sourness in the aftertaste. This is an absolute sherry bomb! Very sweet, with vanilla and berry/forest fruit notes throughout. It still manages to maintain much of the lightness of spirit Fettercairn is known for, along with some structure and spice expected from the ex-bourbon barrel maturation before the finish in PX casks. It has a pleasant mouthfeel for such a light spirit, and it's surprising given the 40% ABV. I can't help but think a slightly higher ABV would improve it, but that's a minor complaint. Overall, a light, fruity, sweet, and spicy, quaffable dram. £40 for a 1L bottle on sale at Duty Free, though typically around the £80 mark.

The nose reveals vanilla and caramel. The palate has a light body with a subtle fruity sweetness.