Fettercairn 7 Year - Battlehill (Duncan Taylor)

The tenth stop on the SDT is Fettercairn. Another distillery I'm unfamiliar with, originating from the Highlands instead of Speyside. It's presently under the ownership of Wyatt & Mackay and primarily incorporated into their blends. While they do offer a few official distillery bottlings, they appear to be exclusively available in the European market. Thus, we turn to the Battlehill series from Duncan Taylor, featuring this 7-year-old expression. It's one of 714 bottles, bottled at 56% ABV, and is presented as non-chill filtered with a natural color, resembling pale gold. The aroma strongly reflects a Highland character. Expect green apples, honey, beeswax, vanilla custard, butterscotch, and toffee. There's a lemony citrus, leaning more towards sweetness than sourness. It carries a malty/yeasty quality, reminiscent of Grape Nuts cereal. A subtle hint of sherry, dried grass, and buttery pecans are also present. Adding water amplifies the vanilla and sherry-derived sweetness, introducing a blend of white and milk chocolate. Mineral notes, like those found in seashells, emerge, bringing a slight saltiness. After some time, notes of sourdough appear, and if you continue to wait, the entire profile transforms into an ashtray filled with old cigarette butts. At that point, it loses all appeal. The palate is remarkably easy to approach given the 56% ABV, with only a mild warmth. Flavors include honey, oak, prunes, and figs. There are notes of cinnamon apples and a faint nuttiness. A very gentle sherry sweetness is accompanied by some vanilla and lemon peel. Diluting it with water reveals grassy notes with hints of coconut and slightly bitter nuts. A medium to full-bodied texture that feels very oily and quite stimulating to the palate. The conclusion is of medium duration, featuring a touch of pepper, nuttiness, and light oak. Among the three 7-year-old Battlehill bottles I acquired for the SDT, the Glenallachie was the standout, followed by the Glentauchers, and then this Fettercairn. It's not a particularly intricate dram, and allowing it to rest for too long has a detrimental impact. It lacks coherence. It's acceptable as an after-dinner drink, but it's better suited for a brandy snifter than a glencairn. It's not terrible for $60, but that money could be better allocated to spirits that are superior and more accessible. 3.25 Cheers

Here's another lesser-known distillery we managed to include in our sampling tour: Fettercairn. This eastern Highland distillery was established in 1824 by Sir Alexander Ramsay and its name roughly means “foot of the mountain,” reflecting its location near the Grampian Mountains. It was initially known as Nethermill, having been converted from a corn mill to a distillery on Sir Ramsay’s property. Whyte and Mackay owned it from 1973 to 2007, primarily utilizing it for their blended whiskies. It was acquired by Indian businessman Vijay Mallya in 2008, who has since aimed to position the distillery as a premium producer, offering 24, 30, and 40-year-old bottlings. The distillery has an annual output of 1.6 million liters. This specific bottle is a 7-year-old, sourced from Duncan Taylor’s Battlehill range and bottled at 56% ABV. It has a light gold hue and leaves numerous small legs and droplets when swirled in a Glencairn glass. The nose is intensely sulphuric and buttery. I detect significant oak, young spirit, and heat. After a considerable time, the sulphur dissipates, revealing more pleasant notes of chocolate and toffee. The palate is hot and somewhat harsh, but some enjoyable vanilla and toffee can be found if one can tolerate the heat. I actually appreciated the high proof, as the creamy character prevents the heat from being excessively overwhelming. Unfortunately, the flavor profile is somewhat compromised. The finish is short to medium, dry, and predominantly bitter. The creamy sensation fades, abruptly ending the enjoyment I was experiencing. Overall, I suspect their older, more luxurious offerings might be quite good, but I'm unlikely to spend what they might eventually charge for them. This 7-year-old serves as a temptation I'm content to move past. My thanks to my companion for this pour. Rated 3.25-3.5 stars. Cheers.

Watched a baseball game and opened this Fettercairn from my collection of samples. A friend provided this one. It's a robust spirit bottled at a solid 56% abv. The aroma has a strong alcohol presence, similar to rubbing alcohol, which is noticeable. Notes of sulfur, like a just-struck match, combine with the alcohol. It takes a while for these pungent smells to mellow out. As they do, the whisky's character starts to emerge: honey, orchard fruits, milk chocolate, vanilla, and butterscotch. Melted butter on air-popped popcorn in a wooden bowl appears in a second wave of scents. With tiny sips, the thick, smooth body delivers a sweet caramel or butterscotch liquid. That sweetness quickly gives way to warmth and a bite from the alcohol. Apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and wood develop during the fade and into the finish. Adding water brings a candy corn aroma but reduces its original scents. The palate becomes softer, and its character likewise. I prefer it in its undiluted state. The finish is woody, persistently drying, and nothing more. One can sense the potential for a good, more aged spirit. Its character is just beginning to form and is cut short at a young seven years of age. The creamy sweetness is pleasant, but only for a short time. Surprisingly, it's not a harsh whisky for such a high abv. Thanks to a friend for a sample of another uncommon scotch. [Tasted: 10/6/18][84/100]

This is the second-to-last sample from our SDT tour, given to me by a friend. Perspective is fascinating. In Scotland, 7 years is considered young and needing more maturation, generally speaking. In Kentucky, 7 years is about right. In India, Amrut and Paul John whiskies rarely reach such an advanced age. Sticking to that general idea, I felt this particular spirit was too young and could have benefited from a few more years in the cask. The nose starts well, but the palate is simply too fiery, despite the manageable ABV appearing on paper. I had to dilute this with ice to reduce the heat. It wasn't a pleasant warmth, like that from a young peated Islay, but rather the raw heat from harshness. A good effort, but a bit too aggressive for my liking.

I doubt another person will enjoy this because it requires a significant amount of something they strongly avoid: water. Lol. The initial smell is a bit unpleasant, but underneath there was some lemon zest, tea, sulfur, tannin, leather, and vanilla. Tasting it neat is far too hot, but a lot of water introduces a lot of honey, oak, lemon curd, vanilla, toffee, and more subtle sulfuric notes. The brief finish is unremarkable and dry. It's not terrible like other Battlehill bottles I've had, but it's far from excellent. Thanks for the samples from two individuals. Oxidation greatly improves this bottle, but it's rated 2.75 out of 5. The theme for this dram is "Dam That River" by Alice In Chains.