Whisky Review: Fettercairn Fior

The Fettercairn distillery traces its origins clear back to 1824. Despite this long and rich history, it is far from a well-known brand. Several years back Fettercairn released a number of new single malts as part of a brand relaunch, one of which was the Fettercairn Fior. This whisky was matured in bourbon barrels and released without an age statement.

I was prepared for serious peat with this one, and was surprised when the most pronounced flavours and aromas actually weren’t peat at all. In the bottle, the whisky has a deep amber color that is almost red. The label with the unicorn logo is simple and elegant. Opening the bottle, I immediately got a strong and delightful whiff of vanilla, toffee, sherry, orange, coffee, chocolate, cream, and smoky peat.

On the palette, coffee and chocolate are the dominant notes. This isn’t a milky chocolate, despite something creamy in the flavour profile. It is a dark, almost bitter chocolate. Smoke and toffee weave throughout along with just a hint of salt adding an edge to the sweetness. I also pick up ginger and spice. It is a very pleasing flavour combination. There is plenty of peat, yes, but I could imagine this appealing to a whisky drinker even if they are not a huge fan of peat thanks to the complex symphony of dessert flavours present here. Even I have mixed feelings about peat, and I really liked this one.

You can purchase the Fettercairn Fior for around $40-$50. This is quite a reasonable price for such a good whisky. All I can say is that Fettercairn deserves to be much better known than it is.

Fettercairn Fior : Review Summary

Color: Deep reddish amber.

Nose: Coffee, chocolate, vanilla, cream, smoky peat, orange, sherry, toffee.

Palate: Coffee, dark chocolate, smoky peat, toffee, salt, ginger, spice.