Decadent Drinks opted to label their Caperdonich releases under the cheeky name of “Gone Grant,” a reference to the fact that the two distilleries sat adjacent to one another and were in fact connected via long pipes for putting whisky into casks… and the fact that Caperdonich is long gone, having shuttered in 2002 and the property sold in 2010 to Forsyths.

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Whisky: Caperdonich 30 Year (1994), Whiskyland Chapter Nine

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 51.5%

Cask: 2nd Fill Bourbon Barrel

Age: 30 Years (Distilled 1994, Bottled 2024)

Notes: Waxed paper and crayons opened up on powdered sugar donuts, coconut donuts, and a basket full of pears. More sticky buns with caramel and lemon poppyseed muffins lingered further in alongside waxy book covers, construction paper, and hints of mothballs— this was remarkably old-fashioned and subtle. Medium-bodied on the palate, the flavors were a similar whirlpool of citrusy fruits, orchard fruits, paper, books, pastries, and something dirtier—like an old musty office floor carpet with the scent of shoes, coffee, and cigarettes (okay, this is slightly more impressionism than literal… I have never eaten office carpet). Complex and varied, the flavors kept taking me back toward donuts, library books, and sticky tree sap with hints of melon and salty prosciutto. The finish was long and gentle with digestif biscuits, wax paper, a hint of fresh florals, and some spirited pepper.

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Score: 9 (92)

Mental Image: Continental Breakfast in the Archives

Conclusion: Stunning really, this was unlike any Caperdonich I have had, especially from the 1990s. The flavors were startlingly old-fashioned at times; you could have told me this was some malt or blend from the 1960s or 70s and I would have believed you. Some of those old musty carpet notes reminded me a lot of the handful of even older whiskies I have been fortunate enough to try over the years, especially Glenburgie . This scratched at an itch I had forgotten about, surfacing some glorious nostalgia in the way only a peculiar whisky can. Overall, a trip— a wonderful one.