Caperdonich 1995 / 26 Year Old / Peated / Secret Speyside Speyside Whisky

Priya Sharma — A curious unicorn

8/10

Peated Caperdonich is already rare enough, but a 26 year old? Had to try it at a tasting event and I'm glad I did. The nose gives you this wonderful mix of smoked pear and vanilla, and the palate delivers waves of gentle peat with a biscuity sweetness underneath. Not sure I'd pay the full asking price for a bottle, but it's a genuinely unique whisky.

Gianluca Ferro — Worth every penny for peat heads

9/10

I never thought I'd say this about a Speyside, but the peat on this Caperdonich is absolutely gorgeous — campfire smoke layered over orchard fruits and honey. At 49.1% it's got serious punch without being aggressive. Twenty-six years of maturation has smoothed everything into this rich, oily dram that just lingers forever. Yes it's £891 but try finding another peated Speyside from a closed distillery at this age.

Clara Johansson — Interesting but overpriced

7/10

Look, it's a solid dram — the peat is well-integrated after 26 years and there's a lovely dried fruit and toffee thing going on. But at nearly £900 I expected to be blown away, and I wasn't quite. I've had younger peated malts that hit harder and cost a fraction of this. Collectors will love it for the Caperdonich name alone though.