Fettercairn Fior, 42%, £36 
Released with no age statement, Fettercairn Fior contains 15 percent heavily-peated whisky matured in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, along with a proportion of 14 and 15 year old spirit. The result is a bold and complex whisky with real nose presence; smoke, sherry, toffee, vanilla, and oranges merge on the nose, while the palate showcases more smoke and toffee, plus spices, oak, and licorice in the lengthy finish. –Gavin Smith
Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 90
Sounds like a Compass Box bottling. Too bad its not available here…
I put aside my Fettercairn bias and tried the Fior at the Van Wees tasting loft several months ago. My immediate thoughts were he must have refilled the bottle with something else. This was my second pleasant surprise with Fettercairn, the other is as a component of Sheep Dip Old Hebridean 1990 vatted.
The FIor is a nice drinking whisky with just enough smoke to keep it interesting. It is a good social malt, not something to ponder and dissect. I also like the idiosyncratic bottling strength of 42%, which I guess means that it is CF. There is no “mit farbstoff” label on the bottle, so I hope that means it is uncolored. There is a good vid clip at the W&McK website with Dicky Patterson. http://www.whyteandmackay.co.uk/blog/2011-02-22-40-years-40-whiskies-22-fettercairn-fior.aspx
..that sounds like something I would like as a “splurge” whisky. Too bad it won’t be available in the U.S.
I reviewed this one a few months ago on my blog…
It’s indeed very well done.
wait until u try the 40 year old
great price / quality ratio.