Fettercairn seems a distillery practiced at running under the radar. It has existed on two sites (not simultaneously), been closed and reopened, then bought and sold since beginning production in 1824. The distillery is currently owned by Whyte & Mackay (owner of the Jura and Dalmore distilleries), which is owned by Emperador, which is owned by Alliance Global Group. Never seeming to have a great deal of time in the limelight that other, better known distilleries enjoy, Fettercairn is nevertheless known for a unique method of cooling their stills involving running water down the outside that results in only the lightest elements being collected, along with the beautiful, patina-coated stills resulting from the curious method. This Fettercairn Fior serves as an introduction to the core expression.
Distillery: Fettercairn
Region: Highland
Age: NAS
Strength: 42%
Price: $46.94
Location: Fettercairn
Nose: Orange, chocolate, cinnamon, apricot
Palate: Medicinal, honey, dark chocolate, peat, smoke, orange zest
Finish: Citrus, cinnamon, black pepper, nuts
Comments: Travel retail demerit – only 700 ml
Adam – The Fettercairn Fior has really grown on me over time. I didn’t like it at first, or even second, but I’ve acclimated to its flavors somewhat. Allowing the liquid to sit a while in your glass can do wonders to coalesce the elements. It’s not a complex dram yet plays with the few toys it has pretty well. There’s a nice transition of citrus, sweet and spice from nose to palate to finish, even if the associations used to describe them are different. It doesn’t really color outside the lines in any way special but works within its limitations. Serves best in transitional seasons, especially autumn, where associations like cinnamon and chocolate citrus are welcome as the summer heat flees.
Jenny – The smell is reminding me of Red Hots. There was a brief whiff of bog. A hint of the bog in the palate. An essence of bog. There is the heat right away but then it lingers for a while, and the finish isn’t all that pleasant. Boiled down, this is sitting in a bog eating Red Hots.
Boiled down, this is sitting in a bog eating Red Hots.
Meghan – The nose is like one of those chocolate oranges they sell at Christmas time – sweet and citrusy but also kind of artificial smelling. Or perhaps natural orange oil but mediocre milk chocolate. The palate is a lot hotter than one would expect for a whisky that is only 42%. However, I think the heat is more from the medicinal and spice aspects than the actual heat of the alcohol. I picked this one up in a Brussels’ airport travel retail shop. I chose it because I knew it was not one we could get in the states. My travel-lagged thought process was literally “There’s a unicorn on the bottle! I know I haven’t seen that before.” No other selection criteria occurred, though I did note it was a Highland and I generally like Highlands. And I do like the Fettercairn Fior. Perhaps not as much as I wish I did, but I find the citrus and spice a nice and unique combination. It is disappointing that it has caramel color added. Not because I am such a purist to be revolted, but because the whisky is such a beautiful burnt orange color that I really want it to have come only from the cask. If this was available stateside, I would probably pick up a bottle for everyday summer drinking. But it is not. Nor is it exciting or enticing enough to warrant a spot on my duty-free list a second time. There is just too many whiskies and too little luggage space.
Michael – The Fettercairn Fior felt like it had a few strong notes. Brine, then peat smoke, then orange zest for me on the palate. It hit those notes very strongly for me.
Peter – I like it. It’s rich and deep and dark, with caramel.
Ben – This reminds me of wood finish or shellac, but not in a bad way. It has a sweetness and protein like a glue or a gelatin. There’s sweet, but sweetness like when you grill a peach so that it becomes too sweet. The smell of fruit that is threateningly sweet or last-chance sweet.
