Did you know that Scotland’s national animal is a unicorn? You might have been tempted to guess it was a noble stag, but you’d have to guess again. In Celtic mythology, the unicorn symbolizes power, purity, and innocence. It first appeared on the Royal Coat of Arms of William I (a.k.a. the Lion) in the 12th century and was first used as a symbol for Scotland during the reign of King Robert III (1390-1406). Over the centuries it became an increasingly common feature in Scottish heraldry, and by the mid-1500s unicorns had become a key component of the Scottish Coat of Arms.

Today it is the country’s national animal, and some Scots even mark National Unicorn Day every April 9. But why all this talk of unicorns? Because the unicorn is also the emblem of the Fettercairn Distillery – adopted for the facility by its founder, Sir Alexander Ramsay. The unicorn is the dominant symbol in the Clan Ramsay crest.

Fettercairn Distillery was founded in 1824 on the outskirts of a village by the same name where the foothills of the Cairngorm Mountains meet the barley fields of Scotland’s east coast. In 1830, Sir John Gladstone, father of the future British Prime Minister William Gladstone, purchased the distillery and the estate it sat on. While the family would own the distillery for nearly 100 years, it would mostly be run by tenants.

Although William Gladstone never got his hands dirty with respect to distillation, during his time as Chancellor of the Exchequer (1859-1866) he did pass the Spirits Act of 1860. This law cemented and extended the rights of merchants to blend and store both malt and grain whiskies under bond. These rights were further extended in 1863, allowing spirits dealers to retail their whiskies to the public in small quantities. Gladstone’s legislation effectively gave birth to the Blended Scotch Whisky trade. In time, this paved the way for the likes of Andrew Usher & Co., John Walker & Sons, Chivas Brothers, and dozens of other world-famous brands.

Fettercairn is a rather traditional distillery in most respects, with one key difference: both of the spirit stills (used for the second distillation) have a ring of pipe near the top which drizzle cool water down the neck of the stills. The effect cools the copper neck – both internally and externally – increasing reflux and producing a lighter spirit than they would have otherwise been expected to.

As with most Scottish single malts, Fettercairn’s whisky has primarily been produced as a component for blends.

It features most prominently in the blended scotch brands of Whyte & MacKay, who acquired the distillery in 1973. The first official bottlings of single malt from the distillery begun popping up in the 1970s, but it has only been consistently available as a single malt since the mid-1990s. Fettercairn was also an early proponent of whisky tourism, opening a visitor center in 1989, well before many other better-known distilleries.

In 2009, with the tide rising for single malt, an increasing focus was put on marketing the distillery as a single malt brand. The range was revamped again in 2018, in the lead-up to the distillery’s 200th anniversary, which they are celebrating this year.

Fettercairn’s spirit is generally fruity and nutty in aroma and taste, often showing with a lighter floral edge thanks to the cooling rings on the spirit stills. The whisky is primarily matured in American oak, though its owner’s do love a Port Cask Finish, or Matusalem Sherry Finesse. Official Fettercairn bottlings are generally available in most good whisky shops around the world, and with a core range of expressions from 12-to-50 years of age.

To mark the anniversary, Fettercairn has released a set of six vintage whiskies aged 3-60 years of age (which cleverly add up to 200 total). These sets are almost as rare as unicorns, with just 10 being made available for sale worldwide. Each set is housed in a unique cabinet made by a master craftsman, and – as they say – if you have to ask the price, then you probably can’t afford it. But you can see one, by visiting the distillery, which is located roughly halfway between Dundee and Aberdeen. Fettercairn offers tours and tastings year-round, though you are always best to book in advance. ~ Andrew Ferguson

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