Stop number 102 on the SDT is Fettercairn. Yet another unknown distillery, this time from the Highlands rather than Speyside. Currently owned by Wyatt & Mackay and used mostly in their blends, they do have a few official distillery bottlings, but I do believe they are exclusive to the European market. So in comes the Battlehill series from Duncan Taylor and this 7 year old. One of 714 bottles, bottled at 56% ABV and is non chill filtered and natural color of pale gold. The nose is very much a Highland style. Apples - mostly green, honey, beeswax, vanilla custard, butterscotch and toffee. Lemon citrus but more sweet than sour. Malty/yeasty with Grape Nuts cereal. A little sherry, dried grass, buttery pecans. Water enhances the vanilla and the sweetness from the sherry and adds a combination of white and milk chocolate. Mineral notes like seashells come in as well and it becomes slightly salty. After a while some sourdough notes come in and if you wait even longer the whole thing becomes an ashtray full of old cigarette butts. It loses all appeal at than point. The palate is surprisingly approachable for 56%. Only a modest burn. Honey, oak, prunes and figs. Cinnamon apples and a vague nuttiness. A very light sherry sweetness with some vanilla and lemon peel. Water brings out grassy notes with faint coconut and slightly bitter nuts. A medium to full bodied mouthfeel that is very oily and fairly mouthwatering. The finish is medium length, a little pepper, nutty and light oak. If the three 7 year old Battlehill bottles that I purchased for the SDT, the Glenallachie was the best, followed by the Glentauchers and finally this Fettercairn. Not a very complex dram, and letting it sit too long really has a negative effect on it. It’s not very cohesive. Not bad as an after dinner dram, but best poured into a brandy snifter rather than a glencairn. Not terrible for $60, but that money could easily be spent on better and more readily available spirits. 3.25 Cheers