Fettercairn 1996/2015 Signatory 19 year old Single Highland Malt Whisky 46%

The same day in September 1996, the same distillery, two casks. Signatory left them for nineteen years and then married them together, nearly two decades in the coolest corner of the Highlands gathered into one bottle.

Please note: wear and rust on the lid.

The expert description

Fettercairn 1996/2015 Signatory 19 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in two married hogsheads and bottled at 46%.

The casks, numbers 4351 and 4356, were filled on 30 September 1996 and bottled on 29 October 2015. Two casks from the same filling day give a slightly broader profile than a single cask without losing the stamp of the individual vintage.

Nineteen years is enough for the light, sweet spirit of the distillery to gain depth without turning woody. The whisky is bottled in natural colour and without chill filtration, so every nuance stands untouched.

Tasting notes

Nose

Opens with ripe cereal notes, citrus and vanilla, and a light tropical sweetness followed by fresh oak and a touch of honey.

Palate

Full and rounded with classic Fettercairn tones of malt, pale caramel and green fruit, and a mild spiced warmth from the cask.

Finish

Long, clean and lightly mineral with a dry elegance that speaks of nearly two decades of quiet maturing in the Highland climate.

Specifications

Name: Fettercairn 1996/2015 Signatory 19 Years Old
Distillery: Fettercairn
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 19 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogsheads no. 4351 and 4356
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 30 September 1996
Bottled: 29 October 2015

Flavour profile

Fruity · Malty · Soft · Mineral · Mature

Did you know?

When two casks from the same filling day are married, it is no longer called single cask, but it is not a blend either. Bottlers do it because two identical casks rarely taste identical, and because two casks stretch to twice as many bottles as one.

See our full range of Fettercairn
See our full range of Signatory Vintage

Listen to our podcast:

Frequently asked questions about Fettercairn 1996/2015 Signatory 19 Years Old

What does the note about rust on the lid cover?

It concerns the packaging, not the contents. The metal lid has surface rust and signs of handling, while the bottle and the whisky are unaffected. It is worth knowing if the bottle is destined for a collection rather than to be opened.

Why are there two cask numbers?

Because the bottling comes from two hogsheads, numbers 4351 and 4356, married before bottling. Both were filled on the same day in 1996, so the vintage is identical, but two casks give a slightly broader profile than one.

What does it taste like?

Ripe cereal notes, citrus and vanilla on the nose, malt and pale caramel with green fruit on the palate, and a long mineral finish. Nineteen years have given it depth without making it woody.

How does it differ from the 17 year old from the same bottler?

Two more years in wood and two casks instead of one. The nineteen year old is a shade deeper and more rounded, while the seventeen year old stands fresher and more sharply drawn.

Why is it not chill filtered?

Because filtration removes the oils that give the whisky body in the mouth. In return it can turn hazy if chilled or watered, and that is entirely normal.

What characterises the Fettercairn style?

A light, clean and sweet spirit, helped along by the distillery cooling rings. That gives fruit and malt rather than heavy, oily tones, and it is precisely what a long maturation like this brings out.

How is it best served?

Neat in a tulip-shaped glass, ideally with a couple of minutes of air. A few drops of water open the citrus if you want more fruit forward. See our whisky glasses.