Fettercairn Distillery has unveiled the third release in its hugely popular and sought-after Warehouse 2 Collection, an inspired small batch series created to celebrate the hidden gems within its 14 dunnage warehouses and to showcase its commitment to enlightened whisky making!
Limited to just 9,600 bottles, Fettercairn Warehouse 2 Batch No. 003 was distilled in 2015 and matured in a selection of handpicked ex-Bourbon barrels (57%), rum barrels (16%) and French red wine barriques (27%). This unique combination of casks was carefully chosen from the treasure trove of aging stock in Warehouse 2, where high humidity combines with the relatively cool and temperate environment to make their mark on the maturing spirit.
Fettercairn Warehouse 2 Batch No. 003 showcases the distillery’s tropical house style, which originates from the distinctive copper cooling ring distillation process, with an added flair of soft, sweet spice. The whisky has been bottled at a higher strength of 50.6% ABV to highlight the heavier weighted influence of the French red wine barriques while adding real depth to the final spirit and the base notes of Fettercairn’s well-known tropical characteristics.
Non-chill filtered to optimise flavour delivery, this naturally golden-amber single malt leads with warm sweetness on the nose and pleases the palate with a fruity mix of passion fruit, papaya and red berries, alongside sugared almonds and patisserie spice, making for a rich, warming taste experience.
The Warehouse Collection celebrates the talent, passion and commitment of the distillery team, coupled with the vision of Gregg Glass, Master Whisky Maker, in seeking unusual and interesting casks to craft these unconventional small batch releases. Limited in number and availability, the Collection has already captured the imagination of both collectors and whisky drinkers with its striking look and clear purpose.
With discovery a driving force at Fettercairn, this wonderful collection of whiskies has been crafted to explore the treasure trove of aging stock in Warehouse 2. In line with the ethos of enlightened whisky making, a detailed breakdown of the cask make-up is proudly presented on each bottle and pack bringing complete transparency to every new release.
With expectation high following the popularity of the first two releases in the Collection, we knew we needed to deliver something special with this third release, without compromising the approach we’ve been striving to adopt. As such, when personally hand selecting casks for this edition, I wanted to push the boundaries further to create a beautifully balanced single malt which delivered both freshness and complexity in character. I believe Batch No. 003 is another true one off for Fettercairn.
Warehouse 2 has so much to offer in terms of diversity and quality of the casks and it is always a challenging, yet enthralling task to select the ones to create each batch. The choice of French barriques combined with rum barrels for this release has brought a truly different dimension to this spirit and enabled us to keep showcasing our innovative and experimental approach.
– Gregg Glass: Master Whisky Maker
Fettercairn Warehouse 2, Batch No.003 will be available at an RSP of £60 in key global markets including the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France from April, extending to key Asia markets from May onwards.
Tasting notes
Nose: Warm honey, Alphonso mango, brioche, cocoa, subtle forest fruits and waves of rose water
Taste: Passion fruit, papaya, red berries and grape must harmonise with sugared almonds, patisserie spice and heather honey.
Fettercairn Whiskies are also available to buy from these Merchants:-
About Fettercairn
Our founder, Sir Alexander Ramsay, was one of the Scottish landowners who campaigned for the licensing of Scotch Whisky distilling. In 1824 Fettercairn he established the Fettercairn Distillery, in the Northeast of Scotland; it was to become one of the first licensed single malt distilleries. Despite his campaigns for regulation, Ramsay recruited illicit whisky makers as his first stillmen, knowing only they had the knowledge and experience required to make great whisky. From our very beginnings, we’ve been doing things a little differently in the pursuit of great whisky.
In the mid-1950s, the whisky makers at Fettercairn experimented, seeking ways to create a purer expression of their spirit. They found that pouring water down the still cooled the copper, increasing condensation inside so only the lightest vapours could rise for collection. They fashioned a copper tube around the top of the still to continually douse it with crystal clear mountain water. This simple yet ingenious engineering feat not only creates a purer expression of our whisky, but beautiful oxidized patina of the copper with shades of teal, brushed cooper and white proudly marking our stills. To this day our copper cooling ring remains unique in Scotch whisky making.
Today the Fettercairn Distillery continues this trend of ingenious thinking and is the home of enlightened whisky making, where experimental and considered, open minded innovation provides inspiration in the creation of the most exceptional and rare single malt whiskies. Driven by the idea of entire craft, there is an inherent commitment to the land and the idea of nurturing and embracing every single part of the process, from forest to field to Fettercairn.
As part of this philosophy, we are always discovering and learning and we use this to feed our imagination and passion to create distinct whiskies with a surprising tropical character.
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