Fettercairn Fior

Fettercairn Fior is the entry-level expression of this distillery. Fior is Gaelic for true or pure.

It’s made up mostly of 14-15 year old spirit, most of which is sherried, with about 15% of heavily peated five year old whisky from first-fill bourbon barrels.

Fettercairn Fior (42%, OB 2014)

Nose: very rich, with a wide range of aromas. Sweet oranges, some dried fruits from the sherry, as well as some milk chocolate. Toffee. Hints of sourish red berries (akin towards balsamic) and walnut skin. A veil of smoky notes, but the ‘heavily peated’ whisky seems absent on the nose.

Mouth: starts on cocoa and espresso notes, with clearly defined peat now. Some all-spice as well (pepper / ginger mainly), lemon zest and soft mineral notes. Liquorice. Much courser than on the nose, and I have trouble with some fragrant touches and echoes of wet paper. Finish:  medium long, dry, spicy and slightly bitter.

Based on the nose, I had high hopes, but there are a few less convincing elements on the palate. Not a bad entry-level malt though. Worth a try. Around € 40.

Score: 79/100