Caperdonich 32 Year (1992), SMWS 38.43 "Bar-room buzz"
Whisky: Caperdonich 32 Year (1992), SMWS 38.43 "Bar-room buzz"
Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside
ABV: 49.6%
Cask: Oak (29Y), First Fill PX Barrique
Age: 32 Years (Distilled 17 June 1992)
Nose: Rich and woody, antiques and wood laminate, velvet, musty, fruity and nutty with time, stone fruit, almond, walnut, pie crust.
Palate: Medium-bodied, syrupy, caramelized fruits, pineapple, stone fruits, herbal, honey, brown sugar, charred dough, pizza oven.
Finish: Long and mellow, hints of charred dough and drying woody tannins faded to toasted herbals and caramelized fruity sugars.
Score: 9 (91)
Mental Image: Unexpectedly Experimental Vintage Pizza Parlor
Narrative & Notes: Rich and woody, the aroma dropped me in the middle of an antique store warehouse with musty wooden antiques, musty warehouse air, wood laminate, and velvet or velour upholstery. Fruits and nuts lingered further in, past the wooden display pieces, with fleshy stone fruits, apricots, slivered almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, and buttery pie crust. Medium-bodied and syrupy on the palate, the flavor profile was a shifting mirage of fruity-herbal pizza combinations. Pineapple pizza with balsamic glaze and grilled peaches moved toward caramelized red onions, brown sugar, and tomato paste. More oregano and fennel arrived with the charred doughy crust of a brick oven pizza. The finish was long and mellow with hints of charred dough and drying woody tannins fading to toasted herbals and caramelized fruity sugars.
Fabulous— stunning even. My expectations for this whisky were low: Caperdonich is rarely the most characterful whisky and I am naturally suspicious of anything this old given a massive finish. Yet, it all worked wonderfully here— the aroma was woody, but slowly revealed more fruity and nutty depth. The flavor profile was rich and varied, with a lovely syrupy quality that coated the palate. The flavors were well-structured and evolved wonderfully in the glass between different fruits, herbs, and charred elements. It could even be a bit creamy at times, especially with water, as more Manuka honey arrived with fresh cheese curds.
Overall, wonderful— this was the most popular dram from the “Homecoming” Creator’s Collection when our local whisky group did a tasting and I loved it even more when I returned to it weeks later.
