Caperdonich 1994-2016 - 21 Year Old - Hunter Laing - Old & Rare Platinum Selection - Single Cask

Built in 1897 as an extension of Glen Grant, Caperdonich distillery was initially named Glen Grant 2, but operated only until 1902 before being mothballed for 63 years. The distillery reopened in 1965, was soon renamed Caperdonich and ran under owners Chivas Brothers until 2002. Caperdonich was sold to the neighbouring Forsyth’s coppersmiths in 2010 and later demolished, though the stills survive at the new Falkirk distillery and Owl distillery in Belgium.

Caperdonich’s whisky was generally very slow-maturing, and was sadly underrated during the distillery’s lifetime. The only official bottling from this period was a rare 1970s 5-year-old for Italy, but Chivas have subsequently released some excellent small batch vintage whiskies, including some of the peated whisky Caperdonich made towards the end of its life. Long-aged indie Caperdonichs from the 1960s and 1970s are usually superb.

Hunter Laing was created in 2013 after founder Stewart Laing divided the assets of the Douglas Laing company with his brother Fred Laing Jr.  The new Hunter Laing company received the classic Old Malt Cask and Old & Rare Platinum Selection single malt ranges in the split from Douglas Laing, and Stewart’s sons Andrew and Scott Laing merged their Edition Spirits brand into the new company.

As well as the Old Malt Cask, Old & Rare and First Edition series, Hunter Laing now bottle several new ranges of single malt and grain whisky, including Distiller’s Art, Hepburn’s Choice and the Scarabus brand mystery Islay whisky. In 2017 Hunter Laing began construction of the Ardnahoe distillery on Islay, which produced its first spirit the following year.