The label says Fascadale. It is not a distillery but Adelphi's way of speaking about Orkney without naming the place aloud. Heather peat, salt wind and fourteen quiet years in wood.
The expert's description
Fascadale 14 year Highland Park Adelphi Batch 10 is a Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky from Orkney, non-chill filtered and bottled with natural colour at 46%.
Fascadale is the name Adelphi gives the casks it may not label with the distillery name. The whisky comes from Highland Park, and the series has run under the Fascadale name across a long line of batches. Adelphi ranks among Scotland's most respected independent bottlers and picks its casks one at a time rather than buying in bulk.
Batch 10 is a closed release of 1,498 bottles. At 46% the spirit has the body to carry its smoke without the alcohol pushing the fruit aside, and since neither filter nor colouring has touched it, what sits in the glass is the shade the cask gave it.
Peat cut on Orkney comes from treeless, heather-covered moorland. That is why the smoke reads floral and earthy rather than tarry, and after fourteen years in wood it lies beneath the honey and apple instead of covering them.
Tasting notes
Nose
Heather blossom and honey arrive first, then a dry, earthy smoke closer to smouldering heather than to tar. Behind it sit fresh apples, a hint of vanilla and a breath of sea water.
Palate
Soft and almost oily in the mouth. Citrus peel and malt sweetness open the round, a warm current of pepper and cinnamon follows, and a lightly salted edge keeps the sweetness in check.
Finish
Medium length. The smoke settles in like a faint peat ember while the honey sweetness ebbs away and leaves dried apple skin behind.
Specifications
Name: Fascadale 14 year Highland Park Adelphi Batch 10 Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%
Distillery: Highland Park
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Orkney Islands, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Number of bottles: 1,498
Edition: Batch No. 10
EAN no.: 5060383652284
Flavour profile
Smoky · Maritime · Fruity · Soft
Investment potential
Medium. Batch 10 is closed at 1,498 bottles and cannot be repeated, and older independent bottlings from Orkney grow harder to source as the stocks are drawn down.
Did you know?
Adelphi is not only a bottler. The company built its own distillery out on the Ardnamurchan peninsula on Scotland's west coast, which opened in 2014 and runs on hydro power from the river and biomass from the surrounding woodland.
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