Two fruity whiskies today (we hope). One is from Scotland, a Caperdonich 1997, and the other one is an Irish counterpart in a way, Cooley 2001. Both are bottled by Liquid Treasures, although the Cooley was exclusive The Antelope in Macau.
Caperdonich 27 yo 1997 (52,7%, Liquid Treasures ’15 years eSpirits’ 2024, bourbon barrel, 163 btl.)
Nose: bright orchard fruits, like (cider) apples, stewed pears and yellow plums. Underneath there is a slightly dusty barley note, old books and a forgotton bowl of potpourri. Then honeyed notes, oranges and a hint of jasmine green tea.
Mouth: same style of fruitiness. More pears, whitecurrants, mirabelles and gooseberries. Mid-palate some green melon comes out, with jasmine again, light vanilla and a subtle pinch of white pepper. Then a light hint of milk chocolate appears towards the end.
Finish: fairly long, with mild oak sweetness, green fruits and floral honey.
A bright and very charming whisky, perhaps not entirely typical of the distillery and a bit lighter than expected, in my opinion. Easy-going though, and pleasantly vibrant. These Caperdonichs are always nice but the price (based on the reputation of much older expressions) isn’t really justified. Just my two cents. Still available from eSpirits.
Cooley 22 yo 2001 (55,2%, Liquid Treasures for The Antelope 2024, refill barrel #144972, 265 btl.)
Nose: a similar fruit-driven profile with plenty of apples and pears, green bananas, green melons and gooseberries. Lemon candy. Powder sugar, hints of white flowers. Quite lively again, with a vibrant green side.
Mouth: more orchard fruits and more grassy touches this time, which gives it an even greener impression. Unripe pear, lemon zest and lemon juice, along with ginger and white pepper. Green tea appears after a while.
Finish: quite long, zesty and quite peppery, with a herbal austerity as it dies out.
A nice, fairly restrained fruitiness again, this time a little zestier and greener. Score: 88/100