Fettercairn Vanguard 1st Release Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Marcus Chen — Completely won me over

9/10

I'll be honest, I grabbed this mostly because the bottle looks class on the shelf. But the liquid inside is genuinely impressive — layers of citrus peel, honeycomb, and toasted almonds. Non-chill filtered too which you can tell from the richness. Already eyeing a second bottle before the price goes up.

Sophia Laurent — Completely won me over

9/10

I'll be honest, I grabbed this mostly because the bottle looks class on the shelf. But the liquid inside is genuinely impressive — layers of citrus peel, honeycomb, and toasted almonds. Non-chill filtered too which you can tell from the richness. Already eyeing a second bottle before the price goes up.

Idris Ibrahim — Completely won me over

9/10

I'll be honest, I grabbed this mostly because the bottle looks class on the shelf. But the liquid inside is genuinely impressive — layers of citrus peel, honeycomb, and toasted almonds. Non-chill filtered too which you can tell from the richness. Already eyeing a second bottle before the price goes up.

Finn OBrien — A proper after-work sipper

8/10

This has become my go-to Friday night pour. There's a lovely butterscotch sweetness up front that gives way to dried fruit and gentle spice. Two drops of water really opens it up. The Vanguard name suits it — feels like Fettercairn is heading somewhere exciting.

Sibel Nur — A proper after-work sipper

8/10

This has become my go-to Friday night pour. There's a lovely butterscotch sweetness up front that gives way to dried fruit and gentle spice. Two drops of water really opens it up. The Vanguard name suits it — feels like Fettercairn is heading somewhere exciting.

Daniel Oyama — A proper after-work sipper

8/10

This has become my go-to Friday night pour. There's a lovely butterscotch sweetness up front that gives way to dried fruit and gentle spice. Two drops of water really opens it up. The Vanguard name suits it — feels like Fettercairn is heading somewhere exciting.

Ryan Mitchell — Decent but overpriced for NAS

6/10

Look, it's a perfectly fine single malt. Clean, fruity, inoffensive. But I struggle to justify the price tag when there's no age statement. The tropical fruit notes are pleasant and the 46.3% strength is welcome, but I wanted more depth for what I paid.

Natasha Volkov — Decent but overpriced for NAS

6/10

Look, it's a perfectly fine single malt. Clean, fruity, inoffensive. But I struggle to justify the price tag when there's no age statement. The tropical fruit notes are pleasant and the 46.3% strength is welcome, but I wanted more depth for what I paid.

Kwame Mensah — Decent but overpriced for NAS

6/10

Look, it's a perfectly fine single malt. Clean, fruity, inoffensive. But I struggle to justify the price tag when there's no age statement. The tropical fruit notes are pleasant and the 46.3% strength is welcome, but I wanted more depth for what I paid.

Aria Kim — Nice whisky, nothing spectacular

7/10

Had this at a tasting event and bought a bottle afterwards. It's well-made and easy to drink — creamy texture with some orchard fruit and light oak. Wouldn't say it blew my mind though. For a no-age-statement release at £98 I expected a bit more complexity.

James Okafor — Nice whisky, nothing spectacular

7/10

Had this at a tasting event and bought a bottle afterwards. It's well-made and easy to drink — creamy texture with some orchard fruit and light oak. Wouldn't say it blew my mind though. For a no-age-statement release at £98 I expected a bit more complexity.

Elena Vasquez — Nice whisky, nothing spectacular

7/10

Had this at a tasting event and bought a bottle afterwards. It's well-made and easy to drink — creamy texture with some orchard fruit and light oak. Wouldn't say it blew my mind though. For a no-age-statement release at £98 I expected a bit more complexity.

Tiffany Nguyen — Lovely tropical surprise

8/10

Picked this up on a whim and I'm glad I did. The nose is all citrus and tropical fruit — mango, maybe some pineapple — which I wasn't expecting from a Highland. At 46.3% it's got enough punch to keep things interesting neat, but it's dangerously smooth for the strength.

Devon Marsh — Lovely tropical surprise

8/10

Picked this up on a whim and I'm glad I did. The nose is all citrus and tropical fruit — mango, maybe some pineapple — which I wasn't expecting from a Highland. At 46.3% it's got enough punch to keep things interesting neat, but it's dangerously smooth for the strength.

Ruth Banks — Lovely tropical surprise

8/10

Picked this up on a whim and I'm glad I did. The nose is all citrus and tropical fruit — mango, maybe some pineapple — which I wasn't expecting from a Highland. At 46.3% it's got enough punch to keep things interesting neat, but it's dangerously smooth for the strength.

Isla McCallister — Fettercairn finally getting the respect it deserves

9/10

I've always thought Fettercairn was underrated and this Vanguard release proves it. Rich stone fruit on the palate, a hint of dark chocolate, and a long warming finish. The 46.3% ABV is a sweet spot — doesn't need any water. One of my favourite purchases this year.

Tariq Hassan — Fettercairn finally getting the respect it deserves

9/10

I've always thought Fettercairn was underrated and this Vanguard release proves it. Rich stone fruit on the palate, a hint of dark chocolate, and a long warming finish. The 46.3% ABV is a sweet spot — doesn't need any water. One of my favourite purchases this year.

Astrid Nilsen — Fettercairn finally getting the respect it deserves

9/10

I've always thought Fettercairn was underrated and this Vanguard release proves it. Rich stone fruit on the palate, a hint of dark chocolate, and a long warming finish. The 46.3% ABV is a sweet spot — doesn't need any water. One of my favourite purchases this year.

Adaobi Eze — Good but not quite there for the price

7/10

It's a solid dram with nice honey and vanilla notes, and there's an interesting nuttiness on the finish. But at nearly a hundred quid I keep thinking about what else I could grab for that money. A Clynelish 14 gives me similar vibes for half the price.

Haruki Sato — Good but not quite there for the price

7/10

It's a solid dram with nice honey and vanilla notes, and there's an interesting nuttiness on the finish. But at nearly a hundred quid I keep thinking about what else I could grab for that money. A Clynelish 14 gives me similar vibes for half the price.