“ Woodn’t It Be Nice if…”
Whisky Review # 1015
Region: Speyside
Brand: Caperdonich - Closed Distillery - Distilled 06-07-2000
Matured and Bottled By: Signatory Vintage - Cask Strength Collection
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky bottled on 22-02-2021
Age: 20 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 56.8% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Hogshead - Cask # 29483 - 274 Bottles
Chill Filtration: No
Maturation: Hogshead - Cask # 29483 - 274 Bottles
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 320-360 (March 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Quite expensive, even considering its age.
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Quite expensive, even considering its age.
Buying Advice: 👍 Authentic Whisky that is hard to find these days.
Color:
Color:
Rich Golden (Natural Colour)
Nose:
Nose:
Be sure to give this Caperdonich enough time in the glass to open up and please don't nose in the middle of the glass as the Alcohol is quite strong. The Bourbon notes are clear and so is the cask influence as is to be expected with a Malt of 20 Years. The Nose is Fruity with Sweet, Sour, Green and Mineral notes. It's quite good although not overwhelming and I suspect that Water will make it even better.
Tip: Pour a little Whisky over the palm of your hand and rub it to be able to really enjoy the Aroma of the Butter Biscuits. I always do this by the way as part of the Nosing procedures.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, German Butter Biscuits, Honey, Vanilla, Grass & Straw, Wax, Seville Orange, Lemon, Green Apple, Pear, Nectarine, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Salted Caramel, Banana-flavored Yogurt, Almond Milk, Wet Rocks, Dried Flowers & Herbs, Nougat, Dusty Track, Leather, Cloves, Ginger, Aniseed, Mint, Cardamom & a distant note of Plastic.
Salted Caramel, Banana-flavored Yogurt, Almond Milk, Wet Rocks, Dried Flowers & Herbs, Nougat, Dusty Track, Leather, Cloves, Ginger, Aniseed, Mint, Cardamom & a distant note of Plastic.
Palate:
Strong and Bold arrival. The cask influence becomes more clear & Wood and Wood Spices become quite evident. It's quite Waxy and Buttery as well. I'm curious to see what a little added Water will do. This Caperdonich is a solid & somewhat old-fashioned Whisky that mainly presents Sweet and Sour notes on the Palate.
Main Flavours:
Strong and Bold arrival. The cask influence becomes more clear & Wood and Wood Spices become quite evident. It's quite Waxy and Buttery as well. I'm curious to see what a little added Water will do. This Caperdonich is a solid & somewhat old-fashioned Whisky that mainly presents Sweet and Sour notes on the Palate.
Main Flavours:
Sweet Barley, Butter Biscuits, Salted Caramel, Wax, Green Apple, Seville Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Grass & Straw, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon, Ginger and Menthol.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Honey, Vanilla, Nectarine, Banana, Pear, Dried Herbs, Leather, Tobacco, Licorice, Cough Syrup, Wet Rocks and Sand, Cocoa Powder, Nougat, Aniseed and a hint of Peppery Olive Oil.
Finish:
Middle-Long. A mix of Sweet, Bitter & Sour notes with a hint of Sea Salt. The cask influence is clear and Wood & Wood Spice come to the stage. I find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Toffee, German Butter Biscuits, Vanilla Sauce, Wax, Grass, Honey, Seville Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Banana, Nougat, Wet Rocks and Sand, Leather, Tobacco, Mint, Aniseed, Menthol, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Cloves, Dried Herbs, Licorice, Green Apple, Dusty Oak, Tyres and Varnish.
Middle-Long. A mix of Sweet, Bitter & Sour notes with a hint of Sea Salt. The cask influence is clear and Wood & Wood Spice come to the stage. I find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Toffee, German Butter Biscuits, Vanilla Sauce, Wax, Grass, Honey, Seville Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Banana, Nougat, Wet Rocks and Sand, Leather, Tobacco, Mint, Aniseed, Menthol, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Cloves, Dried Herbs, Licorice, Green Apple, Dusty Oak, Tyres and Varnish.
Drinking Advice:
I added a bit of Water and that helps to suppress the Alcohol of course. I thought added Water would improve this Caperdonich but that's not the case. You really "steal" the Spirit of this Speyside Malt this way. Better drink it neat despite the very high ABV.
I added a bit of Water and that helps to suppress the Alcohol of course. I thought added Water would improve this Caperdonich but that's not the case. You really "steal" the Spirit of this Speyside Malt this way. Better drink it neat despite the very high ABV.
Rating: 8 (********)
Nose: 8 - Taste: 8 - Finish: 7.5
*** Important Note with respect to Rating.
If the Final score is 8 or higher you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Conclusion:
Caperdonich was located in Rothes, Speyside and was originally known as Glen Grant # 2. It was built in 1898 by J. & J. Grant the founders of Glen Grant. It closed in 1902 and only opened again in 1965 when it was bought by Glenlivet & renamed Caperdonich. It was sold to Seagram in 1977 and then to Pernot Ricard in 2001. One year later it closed again before finally being demolished in 2010. It was widely used in the Chivas Regal Blends.
Caperdonich was located in Rothes, Speyside and was originally known as Glen Grant # 2. It was built in 1898 by J. & J. Grant the founders of Glen Grant. It closed in 1902 and only opened again in 1965 when it was bought by Glenlivet & renamed Caperdonich. It was sold to Seagram in 1977 and then to Pernot Ricard in 2001. One year later it closed again before finally being demolished in 2010. It was widely used in the Chivas Regal Blends.
I really enjoyed tasting this Caperdonich. There's an authentic feel to this Malt. To be honest I believe it could or maybe should have been bottled a few years earlier as the Wood and Wood spices become quite dominant on the Palate and in the Finish. But other than that it's a solid and mature Bourbon cask Whisky that you hardly find anymore in today's Mainstream Malt Madness. It is quite expensive but if you have the cash go for it.
Cheers 🥃
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