Nose - Sweet/savory "funk" similar to taking rich sweet syrupy raisins/dates/prunes and slashing them with a bit of soy sauce, chocolate, wet chewing tobacco Taste - Sweet intense raisins/prunes layered over a dark apple juice, gentle ginger ale heat, hints of dark chocolate, maraschino cocktail cherry liquid, sweet syrupy amaretto Finish - Lingering sweet w/ hints of cinnamon spice, syrupy dark dried stone fruits, light bitter cherry pits, almond shell sweet bitterness Score - 80/100 Final Thoughts - I think I wanted to like this one a bit more than I actually did. Although there isn't really anything extremely off putting about this, it's a bit on the syrupy sweet side. Like they used really wet sherry & port casks to finish this and inside the barrels was remnants of thick syrupy sweet sludge that just sweetened this entire thing. Flavors are good and I definitely see this as more of a dessert whisky than anything else due to how sweet this comes across from start to finish. Maybe treat it as an apertif or digestif with some bitter dark chocolate to finish a meal? Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - Maybe NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.
About this bottle
Fettercairn 16 Year was released as a core bottling for the Scotch whisky brand in June 2020. This 1st Release for 2020 features chocolate malted (heavily-kilned) barley and initial aging in first-fill American oak ex-bourbon barrels. Then the single malt is finished in sherry and port casks for its final two years of maturation. As the name suggests, this will be the first in a series of single malts at this age for the brand.
How it tastes
Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 5 parsed reviews.
Not as fruity as the 3rd release. This expression uses highly toasted chocolate malt. This gives a coffee note that mutes the famous tropical fruity flavour. Medium orange / marmalade finish.
Beautiful dram with notes of strawberries, bananas, pineapples, almonds, cinnamon, dark chocolate, plums, mocha, cherry liqueur, pears, apples, honey, and toffee.
86 points. Mediocre, not exciting, malt and burn.
Intens, many layers
Tastes like this
Closest flavor profiles across the whole catalog.
