Cadenhead has done its best this year with all these special releases for their 175th anniversary. And this Caperdonich 39 yo is no exception. This one was released together with a Convalmore 40 yo and a Banff of the same age. Not bad if you ask me! Today I will stick to the Caperdonich but the Convalmore will be reviewed too.
I am quite curious about this one, since a few months ago I also reviewed a Caperdonich from Cadenhead that was also distilled in 1977. Although that one was a few years younger, it also matured in a sherry butt and was bottled at about the same ABV. So let’s see what this one does.
This Caperdonich has been distilled in 1977 and has matured in a sherry butt for 39 years. The ABV is 50,4%. Only 462 bottles were available.
Caperdonich 1977 39 yo tasting notes:
Nose: Yup, a sherry bomb indeed! A mixture of dried fruits and forest fruits, like raisins, blueberries and blackberries. Some wax, a hint of oak and leather. Very restrained at first though. But after giving it a bit more time this gets better. Then ginger bread. Dark chocolate and a tiny hint of citrus.
Taste: A very thick mouthfeel, quite creamy too. Sweet fruits and honey! Strawberries, cherries, blueberries and blacberries again. Ending with tobacco and sweet winter spices; aniseed, ginger, cinnamon, a touch of black pepper and cloves. So very nice! Later dark chocolate too. Quite delicious and maybe even a bit better than the nose.
Finish: LONG! With chocolate and the above mentioned spices.
This is fantastic! Much better than the Caperdonich 1977 35 year old, and that one was already quite good. There is no bitterness here, and it’s very well balanced. A lovely winterdram with lots of layers. And one to enjoy for a long time while sitting by the fire. But just like the other one, there isn’t much of the Caperdonich character left.
