Back in those quiet pandemic days, when I had a lot more time to watch whisky auctions, one of my goals was to grab a bottle of Caperdonich. There was no logic to it beyond the desire to have a bottle from the closed distillery, and I frequently tracked SMWS bottles of this vintage as I liked the general flavor notes they shared. Because I pursued this on something of a whim, I had a firm ceiling on what I was willing pay, and missed out on bottle after bottle, auction after auction. This was the one I finally won, and then promptly gave up the chase for another since I had my prize.

---

Whisky: Caperdonich 25 Year (1996), SMWS 38.38 “Chestnut forest confections”

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 51.6%

Cask: 2nd Fill Bourbon Barrel

Age: 25 Years (Distilled 26 July 1996)

Notes: Malty and fruity, the aroma put me at the cider mill with red apples, pears, buttery pastries, crushed almonds, and vanilla. Cream and root beer teased in the background with poultry spices; it was as if someone nearby was enjoying a root beer float while prepping a turkey to roast. Peach rings and bubble gum occasionally gave this a candy store quality with birthday cake frosting and sugar sprinkles— a handful of root beer and cola gummies. Medium-bodied and oily on the palate, the flavors were similar with more peach and nectarine pushing out the apples and pears (though never entirely). Cardamom, bay leaves, and brown sugar left me a bit confused until more vanilla and molasses pulled this back to baked desserts. Fallen leaves and earth provided a vaguely autumn quality, but generally sat in the background with a kiss of root beer. The finish was long and dry with an almost white-wine crispness to the semi-sweet fruits.

---

Score: 7 (85)

Mental Image: Candy Store Sommelier 

Conclusion: I do not regret winning this bottle— part of the fun was bidding at auction every month with friends and sharing the anticipation of whether or not I would win or not. Of course we did that with tons of bottles, probably too many bottles, but the shared thrill created a sense of camaraderie and I treasure those memories. I would not buy this again, and I do not plan to chase down more Caperdonich (though there was another bottle I bought earlier in the pandemic). This was fruity and lovely, a bit heavier and crisper than Glen Grant, but otherwise it skirted fairly close to the “anonymous Speyside” line.  Overall, tasty and nice, worth it for the shared memories.