
October 26, 2020

Flash session, at last, Caperdonich!

Honestly, the Caperdonich shelf had been desperately empty for months and months when these two babies came in. I’m glad they’re on the tasting table, these Glen Grant 2s…

Caperdonich 20 yo 2000/2020 (55.8%, LMDW, Artist #10, hogshead, cask #29488, 251 bottles)
This was selected at Signatory Vintage’s by the skilled noses of La Maison du Whisky. Remember Pernod-Ricard bought Caperdonich from Seagrams’ in 2001 and closed it almost immediately. So, this is one of the very last vintages. Who’s ever tried a 1972 Caperdonich? Utter glory, I agree. Oh and remember Seagrams had done some peaters at Caperdonich, as they were doing elsewhere, but I believe that had been done way before the year 2000. Colour: gold. Nose: sweet, easy American oak, with some vanilla and brioche, pancakes, drops of grape juice, some sour beer, apples and pears, flour and grist… It is very fresh and not that far from Glen Grant’s style indeed. Or Glenmo’s. With water: barley and beach sand, sesame oil, a little coconut water… Mouth (neat): creamy, vanilla-ed, barley-y, with quite some barley syrup, custard, acacia honey, a touch of beeswax… What’s immediately remarkable is how creamy and almost thick this is. With water: great malty and brioche-y profile, with some coconut balls, biscuits, sweet oils… It’s the texture that’s most impressive. A little white pepper for good measure. Finish: medium, sweet and oily for a few seconds (syrup), spicier then. Comments: you almost need a spoon to get this one out of your tulip glass, but it’s worth it. Barley in majesty.
SGP:451 - 86 points.

Caperdonich 22 yo 1997 (60.5%, Lady of the Glen, bourbon barrel, cask #19130, 171 bottles, +/-2020)

Colour: white wine. Nose: much sharper, tenser, grassier than the Artist, rather with notes of cachaça straight from the still plus a little fresh butter and newly mown lawn. Some white currants too, but at this very high strength it’s not easy to get finer nuances. With water: good pilsner, baker’s yeast, hay, fresh baguette, cactus, today’s newspapers, fresh concrete… Mouth (neat): great raw punch, very tight, very grassy, full of leaves, stems, green fruits (unripe greengages) and grape pips. Baking soda. I hear water is requested at the entrance… With water: this one’s waxier than the 2000, it’s got more citrus too, a little rubber, plasticine and paraffin, ink, chalk… Not an easy baby and rather a fighter. Finish: long, grassy, waxy, a little eau-de-vie-ish. Some gooder soapy tones in the aftertaste. Comments: the kind of austere malt that would rather bite you if you’re not careful enough, just like an helpless old cat. But that’s what makes it rather fascinating, you have to intellectualise these uncompromising whiskies a wee bit.
SGP:361 - 86 points.

Check the index of all Caperdonich we've tasted so far