Nose: a few pencil shavings up front, as well as freshly opened packs of matchsticks. Still quite bright and clean. Sweet mustard, green leaves and hints of coffee beans. Birchwood. Funnily there are hardly any classic sherry notes like dried fruits. It remains fairly bright, with hints of sweet lemon and honeydew in the background.
Mouth: lots of white pepper now, with fruit eau-de-vie, apple seeds and a vegetal side. Some grassy notes, with leathery dryness and some pungent mustard notes again. Green and leafy, with echoes of cardboard and hardly any fruits. A faint salty edge as well, maybe Fino or Manzanilla?
Finish: medium, some zesty citrus now. Still apple piths. A late hint of caramel sweetness appears.
A rather unconventional Fettercairn, with a slightly austere side and an uncommon combination of flavours. Not a crowd-pleaser – it would have been educational to get some information about the sherry cask.
