Ferg & Harris Speyside 12yo
Pedro Ximinez Sherry Cask Finish | 55.7% ABV
Putting a Face to a Name
Is it just me or has the Scotch whisky world gone a touch quiet, or certainly circumspect, recently?
Other than a few companies re-vamping their ranges, it seems to me that not much is going on. It could be down to the time of year; I was going to say ‘summer’ but, certainly in the UK, we seem to have forgone that season and merged Spring into Autumn. But from an outsider’s point of view there is a definite lull in activity this year.
However, one area of the industry continues to develop; independent bottlers. Well, perhaps develop isn’t the right word – ‘grow’ might be a better description. ‘Develop’ suggests change, but in reality, there is nothing to change for any new entrant. There really aren’t any market ‘disruptors’ in this industry – despite what some folk might have written on their bio on Linkedin.
Some bottlers and brand owners are pushing the boundaries of marketing and packaging and some in good taste, others perhaps not, but they are hardly ‘disrupting’ anything. Scotch whisky is a clearly defined product, and no ‘Whiteclaw’ can come and knock it about. They might steal market share by changing habits, and there is plenty of evidence of this, but disrupt the industry, they cannot.
There are so many independent bottlers now that it’s hard to keep up and a recent search for a different whisky threw up yet another new bottler: Ferg & Harris.
I had never heard of this bottler - and on reading through their website, I am none the wiser. I suggested in my feature ‘It’s the people, stupid’ that this industry works best when it is not a faceless money-spinner and I’d love to meet the people behind this brand, if only on a screen.
Just a suggestion, but when your website bangs on and on about quality and being highly selective etc (and for whoever is behind the company, we all know that you do not “…travel around Scotland’s six whisky regions, discovering special barrels off the beaten track…”) perhaps put a face and name for us to associate with this ‘quality’ message.
I feel this personal touch is even more important now due to how crowded the category is. Sometimes it takes work to separate a bottler from a warehouse from a cask trader or from an investment company, and so on. Some of us like to be able to separate these things as purchases are not always about the product. I hope whoever is behind Ferg & Harris will be out representing these whiskies, giving us a human face behind the dram.
It is one of the ways independent bottlers can stand out in a crowded playing field. It is entirely possible to bottle exceedingly good whisky with the buying public having no idea who you are but I’m not sure this strategy will have legs - unless of course you’re supplying the likes of Costco or Lidl. Perhaps the good people behind this Speyside 12-year-old will soon be appearing at tastings and festivals near you?
It is tough for any new bottler to have a unique selling point. Few can lay any claim to historical casks (i.e. bought before their creation or entrance into the industry), and none can suggest any possession of superiority when it comes to cask selection. So we are left with distillery names, ages, packaging, marketing and price as our only guide before we try any.
This whisky has no distillery name, but that’s fine. The age is front and centre and I can’t argue with the packaging - beautifully simple and elegant. I’m not one for caring about too much information either so have no issue with the minimalist label style. Cask numbers are pretty much meaningless and the number of bottles, or outturn, only interests me when it is either very high or very low.
Price I’ll get onto later and marketing I’ve discussed above. The only final test is to drink it.
Review 1/2
Speyside Aged 12 Years, Ferg & Harris, 2010, bottled 2022, 55.7% ABV
£55 still available
Nose
Big booming whiff of figs – one of those ‘straight off the bat’ tasting notes (like vanilla for many Bourbons). It really is fig-juice.
As the air gets in we get a more sherried feel with stewed fruits (think multiple fruit pie – the kind of baked dessert from Germany or Austria). There is a wisp of sweet pipe smoke (thankfully not the bubble gum or sickly sweet Vape-smoke that is too often blown into your face – why is that acceptable?) and cooked apples.
But before long I’m back to figs again. Luckily for me, I quite like that smell.
Palate
The Pedro Ximenez has not turned this cask into a thick, sweet-laden monster like many others, having been finished in a similar way. The fairly high alcohol gives the whisky a kick, and many will find this perfectly drinkable without water.
It does cling a bit to the back of the throat—quite a strong bittersweetness bordering on chalky/oaky/tannic.
The Dregs
Initially I was quite prepared to have this as a standalone review. However, seeing as Signatory has set the benchmark for age statement, sherried whiskies at cask strength, I feel it’s only fair to the consumer to give a side-by-side.
Luckily, I have one to hand…
Review 2/2
Miltonduff 12yo, Signatory 100º Proof Series, 1st Fill Sherry Butts, 57.1% ABV
£46.99 available
Nose
A good dollop of figs and cooked fruits but much more than that. Plenty of Dundee cake, Xmas spices, demerara sweetness, chocolate brownie and sticky-toffee pudding. It is a striking difference to the Ferg & Harris as Oloroso is considered a drier sherry to Pedro Ximenez.
Palate
Aniseed and ginger – which may sound odd but thoroughly enjoyable. Again lots of stewed fruits. Round and warming. None of the chalkiness, a lot less tannin and less drying. Even at 57.1% this is quite drinkable and doesn’t choke up the back of the throat at all. I’m getting a more ‘Speyside’ sensation (if that is a thing) from this Miltonduff as you can taste the spirit a bit more – to my palate under the layers and waves of sherry, figs and spices you get to glimpse the light fruitiness and honey of the distillate.
The Dregs
If you’ve read this far, you can kind of guess where I’m going with my scoring and thoughts. Before I get onto the comparison, it is worth remembering that Dramface is purely a public information platform. We are not privy to supply chains, deals, prices and so on. Nor should we. All we can do is judge what is in front of us – often bought with our own pounds, dollars and pesos. We remain as neutral as possible, not swayed by company history, people, marketing or promotion. Well, we try our best.
In this instance it’s not that hard to remain neutral as both companies remain fairly anonymous. Signatory barely make a show of themselves anywhere (I think I’m right that they don’t even have an online presence) and Ferg & Harris, as explained above, are a (currently) faceless bottler with little information for anyone seeking them out.
Thus, as a consumer, you can only compare products. Price-wise, there isn’t too much difference—just £9 separates the two bottles (about two coffees in London). Had Ferg & Harris (I have written ‘Fergus’ nearly every time I write this) dropped the carton, they could have narrowed the gap even further.
Whilst the Ferg & Harris is very well priced, and looks great, it ultimately fails to truly deliver. The astringency on the palate keeps it from getting a good score and that’s before we bring in the peer for comparison. The Miltonduff is more complex, more rewarding and leaves a better taste in your mouth.
And you’ve even got enough spare change to afford a couple of those macchiatos.
Score: 8/10
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