Fascadale 14 years old Highland Park Adelphi Batch 10 Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%

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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Frequently asked questions about Fascadale 14 year Highland Park Adelphi Batch 10

Why does the label say Fascadale rather than Highland Park?

Because Adelphi is not permitted to print the distillery name on the label. Fascadale is the name Adelphi uses for its bottlings from Highland Park on Orkney, and the series has carried that name through many batches. The whisky inside is the same one, only the name on the front has been swapped.

Is it one to collect?

Yes, if you collect independent bottlings. Batch 10 is a closed release that cannot be made again, and Orkney whisky with fourteen years in wood arrives in ever smaller quantities. Adelphi also selects its casks individually, so the bottle is as much the bottler's signature as the distillery's.

How smoky is it?

Moderately. The smoke sits underneath the honey and apple rather than on top of them, and it is floral and dry rather than tarry. Anyone arriving from a heavily peated Islay Single Malt Whisky will read it as restrained.

What does Batch 10 mean?

It marks the tenth outturn in the Fascadale series. Every batch is built from fresh casks, so no two batches taste alike. The number is the only reliable way to tell which release you have in the glass.

How do you get the most out of it?

Pour it into a tulip-shaped Whisky Glass at room temperature and let it stand for five minutes before you nose it. A few drops of water soften the spice and lift the honey. Ice works against it here, because the cold shuts down the light smoke.

What is Adelphi known for as a bottler?

Cask selection. Adelphi does not buy in bulk but tastes its way through single casks and bottles only those that can carry a release on their own. The result is small, numbered outturns that rarely repeat themselves.