Fettercairn Warehouse 2 Batch 003
2022 Release| 50.6% ABV
Score: 8/10
Something Special.
TL;DR
Don’t judge this by the label specs, everything is better than they suggest
Something Weird Is Going On And I Love It
Teamwork is essential, that’s a given. Yet, behind everything, there’s usually one driven individual responsible.
In my early days of jumping down every whisky rabbit hole that appeared, I was hungry to try it all. With a real conviction that I knew nothing and needed to know everything, I set out to start programming my naive palate. Whisky-toddler Wally set about grabbing every brightly coloured new thing he could. No sooner was it in his hands, it was in his gob. Looking back, it was an obsession, I mean – it always has been – but it was a little different. You see, behind the scenes, there was a source of motivation. I had a pal. A whisky pal. And he was doing the same.
We were not in competition with each other, we shared everything we bought. Actually, no, we were totally in competition with each other, always. Both desperate to find the next glass of ‘wrap-it-roon-ye’, there was a good-natured sense of one-upmanship. It was fun. Trying to keep costs down, I’d cruise the supermarket aisles or seek out the cheaper options from the specialists. My buddy would save his money for more occasional, pricier purchases. Occasionally, we’d buy flights from Drinks By The Dram. There are many services like this today, but back then, there was only that Master Of Malt online sample shop. I don’t know how many whiskies we tore through in a short space of two or three years, but our combined resources meant it was much more than we otherwise could have. Not only because of those resources but – perhaps even more so – because of the mutual inspiration.
In this analogy, I’m a few years more experienced than my pal and therefore I’d like to think of him as my baby brother. Perhaps, now that he's all grown up, he'll credit me a little for inspiring his whisky growth. I’d spent time exploring on my own before he came along, and our first few nights saw him taking his first steps. Truthfully, though, he’s just as responsible for my growth. The level-ups during those years came every single week. It was crazy the way the bottle swell happened, with new and amazing discoveries almost every time. I do hope he already knows I consider him responsible for so much of this whisky life I enjoy today. Because I’ll never actually tell him to his face, obviously.
Pre-whisky pal, in my casual exploration, I’d tried a supermarket-purchased Fettercairn. I disliked it. A lot. I believe it was the Fasque, but it may have been the Fior. I did drink it, I must have. But it’s only redeeming feature was it was memorable, but not in a good way. It was pretty poor and I didn’t want to go back. It had an odd, acrid, bitter-saccharin thing that didn’t sit well at all. Years later, my whisky pal bought a flight of five 3cl Drinks By The Dram of Fettercairn, as it was a distillery we hadn’t really explored – probably due to my reluctance to go back. We had a fine night but, again, somewhat forgettable with no real stand-out moments.
It must have been enough to soften my resolve though, because when confronted with a new bottle on the supermarket shelf (again; Fior? Fasque? Don’t know.) I tried it and it was all the way back to bad again. I felt duped. It eventually found good use on a hot day making long drinks, where it was acceptable. Yet again, I was reminded that Fettercairn was like a hot fireplace, pretty to look at, but don’t go there – you’ll get burned. I took active steps to avoid it and, despite tastings and small tries here and there, nothing had really convinced me to go back until, well, YouTube.
There’s a fella called Phil on a long-established but still, oddly, a little under-the-radar channel called Whisky Wednesday. I very much enjoy his take on whiskies, and while we mostly agree, it’s not a condition of me enjoying his content. He told me directly that his biggest surprise of last year was the new Fettercairn. I took his advice and started to explore with mixed results. I already knew their 12yo a little and decided to avoid it, even at the reduced price (Phil wasn’t a fan of this either). I had tried their 16yo batch 1 and found too much of what I didn’t like previously. It played to me like a faux-sherry cask whisky reliant on too much caramel colouring, which missed the point completely. It had so much chocolate-malt and curious-cask promise but ultimately its emulsified and sickly flatness left me cold. Then along came Warehouse 2, Batch 2 and the door to revelation was kicked open.
So compelling was this bottle of whisky, I bought a second within a week. Now that they’re all but gone I’d love to find a third. Batch 2 is a bourbon and rye cask make-up, it’s all natural at 48.5% ABV and a tropical fruit-bomb. The rye adds the perfect amount of gentle spice to the fruit and never tries to take centre stage. It’s a great job and one I wish you could get your hands on too. It costs me £70 for the first bottle and £80 for the second. I was glad to have both despite it being a fairly young 2009 vintage. Today though, we have an available Batch 3 on hand. Yet, on reflection, I’m still surprised I bought it.
Usually, I’d be all in without question. I’m curious and excited by some positive changes in this somewhat unique, but neglected, eastern Highland distillery and I want more of this good stuff. In between the Warehouse Series batches I took a gamble on their (now all natural!) batch 2 16yo and – I’m relieved to say – it’s a huge step up. The tropical side of Fettercairn is there and it’s cheaper than the batch 1. Perhaps they saved a wee bit by cutting out E150a and unnecessary chill-filtration? More likely just a product of Batch 1 being a litre and Batch 2 being 70cl. Regardless, fairly positive. Yet the Warehouse Batch 3 made me nervous.
“The village and distillery of Fettercairn are near the glen of the North Esk, a river that flows into the sea not far from the town of Montrose. Fettercairn is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, reputed to have been founded in 1824. It was rebuilt several times around the turn of the century, and extended in 1966.”
You see, on paper, to me, there’s lots not to like. This one is younger than last year’s; the vintage here is 2015. So immediately there’s a rippling of the brow and narrowing of the eye. Then its cask makeup reveals a mix of bourbon, rum and wine casks. Oof. My left hand reaches for the handbrake. However, it’s all natural once more and the price is significantly less. OK. Relax. Coast a little.
The short tale is; within the week I’d bought a second. Again. Pay no attention to the youthful vintage or the cask makeup; this is a great Fettercairn. Despite its youth it’s every bit as good as Batch 2 and perhaps, especially since I can actually buy and enjoy it, arguably better. I am at once surprised and excited by this. So, who is our metaphorical behind-the-scenes whisky pal here? From whom does this draw its inspiration? Who is responsible?
There are swathes of people connected with the whisky in my glass tonight, it’s not close to an individual effort. I’ve always been sure the distillery made a great and unique malt, I just struggled to find an uncorrupted representation of it on the shelf. It seemed to me there was also a team involved in messing it up. Yet, I suspect there’s a single talent that’s been powerfully influential here. Could it be as simple as a single appointment? It can be no coincidence that balanced, beautiful, tropical and delicious Fettercairns have arrived just as Gregg Glass starts to realise the literal fruits of his labour. Whether down to his individual vision or that of many more, I am very grateful.
Review
Fettercairn Warehouse Batch No.003, 50.6% ABV
£59 still available
My first bottle is halfway down, and I keep going back and sipping it with other things just to make sure I’m in love as much as I think I am. It would seem so. I’ve had several neat drams and spent an evening diluting it down in a blender’s glass. Not just for this review, but also just for pure fun.
Nose
Yes! Tropical. Lovely, sweet, tropical fruits. Green bananas, sweet grapefruits and melon with pineapple cubes. Powdered icing sugar and candy canes. A little warming spice, peppercorns and vanilla fudge. Water brings a sense of white chocolate too. Time highlights a nice, sweet acidity, like mildly pickled ginger. There’s something green flickering in there too, it’s a little illusive but it is fresh. We’ll call it basil.
Palate
Juicy and ripe. Spices join the tropical fruit bowl, like a black pepper and powdered ginger garnish that adds a light fizz to things. Some creamy coconut and vanilla swirl with melted Milkybars. I’m looking for a rum or a wine influence., but nothing obvious, just gently spiced, sweet fruit. Neither can I find anything to betray its single-digit age statement. But, with tenacious dedication, I pour another and keep looking. Lovely.
The Dregs
This cask make up is ex-bourbon, rum and red wine barriques, but it’s so well put together that you quickly care not a jot about the details they share on the box. While it takes a drop of water quite well, as it is, everything is just so. It’s just a great scotch whisky. A perfect mix of bright, tropical fruit and gentle spice. Another signal that Fettercairn is here and placing a bid as a serious player in the high-quality malt stakes. It’s lovely to see.
In the flotsam and jetsam of whisky, so many favourites wash upon the shores of those better off than I am, carried by enabling waves of profiteering secondary market opportunists or – worse – profiteering primary market opportunists. So in this transformation, it’s comforting to discover something available and delicious to help salve our frustrations. If you’re responsible for this, please keep doing it. Whoever you are.
Score: 8/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. WMc
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