A Bit of History
Fettercairn was founded in 1824 by Sir Alexander Ramsay. It was originally named as Old Fettercairn and is located near the village of Laurencekirk in the east Highlands. This is between the towns of Montrose and Stonehaven. Ramsay was a keen supporter of the legalisation of distillation in Scotland. As a result, Old Fettercairn was the second ever distillery to be granted a Licence to Distil after the Excise Act was passed in 1823. The Glenlivet was the first.
However, his ownership only lasted six years. Sir John Gladstone took control in 1830. He was the father of William Gladstone, the four-time British Prime Minister. Fettercairn was to stay in the Gladstone family for nearly a century. The distillery closed in 1923 following World War I and financial problems ended the Gladstone’s involvement shortly after. It was then out of operation between 1926 and 1939.
The new owners, Associated Scottish Distillers Ltd, initially produced medicinal alcohol for World War II before later switching back to single malt. In 1973 Whyte & Mackay became the owners after Fettercairn has changed hands numerous times in the proceeding decades. They used it heavily in their Whyte & Mackay range of blends. They have remained the owners ever since, although the company is now part of the larger Emperador group.
Background
Fettercairn produces a light, fruity and tropical spirit. This shows green apple and cereals with a savoury, robust and nutty edge. The spirit is mostly matured in one cask type – first-fill ex-bourbon barrels made from American oak. However, a small percentage of spirit is filled to ex-sherry casks, with fortified wine casks also used in some older expressions.
Fettercairn’s role was, and largely remains, to produce spirit destined for the creation of blended Scotch. It is a key ingredient in numerous blends. However, in 2009 Whyte & Mackay attempted to establish it as single malt brand. This was revised in 2018 with a major revamp and launch of a new brand identity and core ranges for both the domestic and travel retail markets.
The Geeky Bit
Fettercairn has a six-tonne cast iron mash tun. They currently operate 24 mashes per week. There are 11 wooden washbacks with a fermentation time of 56 hours. There are four stills (2x wash and 2x spirit) and these work in pairs. The current production capacity is 2.1 million litres.
Fettercairn is known for a unique feature on its spirit stills – both have an irrigating ring around neck of spirit still. This allows water to constantly run down the outside of the still. The process aids reflux within the still and starts condensation of alcohol vapour back to liquid earlier. The result is said to lead to a purer spirit. The water source is high in the Grampian mountains and fed to the distillery by gravity. There are 14 traditional dunnage warehouses on site with 32,000 casks maturing inside.
One To Buy | Fettercairn 18 Years Old
A modern classic of a Scotch whisky and one that was an early exponent of using Scottish oak for maturation. This annual bottling features the bulk of maturation in first fill and re-fill American oak ex-bourbon casks. But it also undergoes a finishing period in 100% Scottish oak casks, which are made from trees that have naturally windfallen.
Expect a savoury nutty character to come from the Scottish oak influence, plus some chocolatey and mocha notes. The ex-bourbon casks accentuate Fettercairn’s tropical fruity characteristics, which are particularly prominent at this elevated age. Aromatic spices add further depth and complexity. Delightful, classy and delicious.
