Ferg & Harris 12-Year-Old Speyside Whisky Review
Philip Day reviews Ferg & Harris 12-Year-Old Speyside, a luxury single cask single malt, the brainchild of John Ferguson and Alex Harrison the young duo behind Young Spirits.
Ferg & Harris is a relatively new independent bottler based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Owned by John Ferguson and Alex Harrison, whose other company Young Spirits provides warehousing, bottling and labelling services and also sells the Uhuru Spirit range. In 2022, the two partners launched their own range of whiskies
Ferg & Harris is a luxury single cask, single malt brand. They pair exquisite whiskies with different wood finishes for truly distinctive drams. The range they offer is bijou. But it’s also exceptional.
On their website, the team state:
Having a great malt is only half of the job at Ferg & Harris. We really earn our stripes by assiduously selecting finishing casks that will complement the characters of our original whiskies.’
Along with superb whiskies we have access to a variety of premium barrels, butts and hogsheads for finishing. Our careful analysis and matching work finds the right cask. Of course, when aged whisky meets exotic wood, no one knows exactly what flavour profile will emerge. But we do know it’ll taste divine.’
With around 500 different casks of whisky in our storeroom, we have plenty of cracking malts to choose from already. And more are added from our travels. Sampling them, to find the right contenders to finish for new releases, takes time. But as you might imagine, it’s time well spent.’
Let us take a look at Ferg & Harris 12 year old Speyside:
Ferg & Harris took a light and fruity Speyside, aged for 12 years in ex bourbon casks, and finished it for six months in a first-fill Pedro Ximénez sherry hogshead, which allowed it to acquire a sumptuous umber colouration and great depth of taste. The oak barrel gifted the spirit with a robust sweetness, as one would expect from such a sherry cask together with subtle woody notes.
It was launched a year ago on World Whisky Day, 20th May 2023.
Tasting Notes (provided by Ferg & Harris)
- Colour: Natural colour, umber.
- Nose: Scents of toffee, baked figs, rich raisins.
- Palate: Mouth coating. A quick hit of sherry sweetness followed by stewed raisins and lighter fruity notes, with subtle woody notes.
- Finish: Warm, smooth, rich fruits.
- ABV: 55.7%
- RRP:£69.99
In their marketing information, the team offered the following description of the release:
Imagine Bakewell tart baked in a peat burner. It’s sweet. It’s delicate. It’s aromatic. The almond goodness that melts in your mouth. And what a rarity. All that is Ferg and Harris’ 12-year-old Speyside. Just in liquid form.
We have taken an already incredible Single malt scotch whisky and kept it maturing in a Pedro Ximenez Sherry cask.
Would you like proof we’re not exaggerating on how incredible it is? The International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) have put their gold stamp on it.’
Personal tasting notes (Official sample kindly provided by Ferg & Harris through Burt Greener Communications)
- Nose: A strongly layered mixture of creamy caramel toffee infused with aromas of dates and raisins. There are additional herbal notes and savoury hints of aged leather and dried orange peel for good measure.
- Taste: The sherry elements are not over dominant. It’s full-bodied, toffee sweet, full of bitter dark chocolate notes intermingled with a complexity of autumnal fruits with additional hints of candied orange peel. You’ll also find hints of herbs and spices. These elements all together help create a dram of substance.
- Finish: Long, smooth finish characterised by rich hints of chocolate, caramel toffee and a slight citrus note mixed within the sweeter autumnal fruit and herb notes. Following this, a hint of pepper and oak notes provide a warming and drying conclusion.
- To sum up, the maturation period has created a well-rounded layered classic dram. The rich hints of chocolate, caramel and the dark autumnal fruity notes added to the slightly peppered, dry and warming lingering finish make it very accessible.
For further information on this release as well as information about other special bottlings and where they can be purchased visit their website: https://www.fergandharris.co.uk/
References
https://www.youngspirits.co.uk
https://www.fergandharris.co.uk/
Information and images provided by Burt Greener Communications on behalf of Ferg & Harris