A Tropical Highland Masterpiece
Nestled beneath the foothills of the Cairngorms, Fettercairn is a distillery shaped by landscape as much as by time. Crystal-clear mountain water runs through forests and farmland before meeting the stills. Stills crowned with one of the most distinctive pieces of engineering in Scotch whisky: the copper cooling ring. This ring drenches the neck of the still during distillation, allowing only the lightest, purest vapors to rise. The result? A house style renowned for its tropical elegance.
The Fettercairn 28 Year Old embodies that identity with precision. Made from locally sourced barley grown within a 50-mile radius, matured entirely in ex-bourbon casks, and distilled using their signature cooled stills, this expression captures the distillery at its most refined and expressive.
“A quiet tropical masterpiece! The kind of dram you can sit with for an hour, and it keeps giving more.”
Tommy Simpson, Whiskey Network
Fettercairn 28 Year: A Tropical Highland Masterpiece
Color: Golden Honey
Proof/ABV: 84 proof/42% ABV
Tasting Notes
Nose 92/100
Seductive, layered, and surprisingly fresh for its age. Under-ripe mango, fresh-cut pineapple, lemon citrus and peach drift upward first, followed by vanilla cake, soft honeycomb, thin caramel, and a whisper of clove. A faint note of dry nuts and seasoned oak adds depth. And then, unexpected but unmistakable, a soft thread of sweet tobacco, subtle yet alluring.
Palate 90/100
A bright citrus peel flash on arrival transitions into moist vanilla cake with creamy vanilla icing. From there, the tropical medley returns in full force: mango, apricot, pineapple, banana. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy, carrying layers of oak that never overwhelm but provide a sturdy backbone for the orchard and tropical fruit. Luxurious from start to finish.
Finish — 89/100
Medium, beginning with polished oak and slowly unfolding into lingering tropical fruits. The whisper of tobacco returns at the end, tying the experience together with understated sophistication.
Final Thoughts — 90/100
The Fettercairn 28 Year is the kind of dram you can sit with for an hour and it rewards every second. Mature, layered, tropical, and unmistakably Fettercairn, this whisky showcases the brilliance of the distillery’s unconventional cooling-ring technique and its commitment to regional sourcing.
A quiet masterpiece for lovers of refined Highland whisky, and a testament to how innovative distillation and long, patient maturation can create something truly memorable.
Slàinte Mhath!
