Fiddichside 1989 Murray McDavid Mission Gold 31 Years Old (70cl, 47.5%)

A 31 year old blended malt from Murray McDavid's Mission Gold series, distilled in 1989 and bottled in 2021 at 47.5% ABV, in a 70cl bottle. Only 330 bottles were filled. It honours Joe Brandie, landlord of the Fiddichside Inn, a tiny Speyside whisky bar, who died in 2017. Two malts distilled upriver along the Fiddich were each finished in a first-fill sherry cask, one for six months in PX and the other for two years in Oloroso, then brought together. The nose is baked apple, candied orange peel, cinnamon latte and toffee. The palate brings waxy fruit, creamy vanilla and sweet oak, and the finish is complex, with sweet malt and soft spice.