Fettercairn 25 year 1995 Signatory Cask Strength

This is a blend of two casks, #2818 and #2822, distilled on October 25, 1995, and bottled on April 21, 2021, at 60.3% ABV. Initially, the aroma is very harsh, but after adding a good amount of water, the ethanol calms down, allowing some of the underlying notes to emerge. The nose begins with gooseberries, mango chutney, and charred whole wheat toast, followed by lemon pith and moderate floral notes, then prunes, earthy dark chocolate, and grapefruit juice. This transitions to ginger, cloves, and ashy oak, with a strong ethanol burn. The taste has a medium mouthfeel, starting with an ashy and sour combination of gooseberries, salted mango, and burnt whole wheat toast. This is followed by violets, vanilla extract, and grapefruit pith, then dark chocolate cocoa powder-dusted prunes and lemon zest. It then transitions to ginger powder, black pepper, cloves, and over-steeped black tea, with a high ethanol burn. The finish is medium in length, featuring lemon pith, gooseberries, cloves, ginger, and burnt whole wheat toast. After sampling the Fettercairn 28-year-old Official Bottling, which costs over $600 a bottle, I found this Independent Bottling at TWE for $150. I thought it was an incredible deal with a 25-year age statement and 60% ABV – how could I go wrong? Unfortunately, it's not the refined experience of the 28-year-old. It's a mix of sour and bitter fruits, moderate floral notes, and over-steeped black tea that didn't harmonize well, even after 25 years.

The aroma is quite vibrant with various fruits like apples, pears, and possibly tropical notes. Beneath the fruitiness, hints of powdered sugar, ginger, and baked goods emerge. It presents some warmth without being harsh. However, the taste has more heat than anticipated. The texture is pleasing with a creamy consistency. More fruitiness appears, followed by a zesty kick. I believe a little water is needed to mellow this one. Oh, perhaps I added too much, as the flavors seem quite diluted now. Fortunately, I still had some of the sample left, so I'm adding a bit more back. There's more maltiness now, along with ripe pear and a touch of chocolate on the finish. The final few sips were back at full strength with the remainder of the sample. I think I've reversed my opinion - I prefer this neat, or with just a couple drops of water. This isn't entirely unexpected for me, but maybe it needed to breathe longer, or my palate needed to adjust. Regardless, I find this to be good, though I could see being let down given the age and cost, as I would have expected greater depth and harmony. Still, $150 for a 25-year-old cask strength scotch seems quite reasonable, and I wouldn't mind enjoying a dram of this anytime. Many thanks to a friend for the sample.