Old Fettercairn

Fettercairn’s new Vanguard series plays with perception and senses

Can a whisky taste like colour? Fettercairn’s new Vanguard series plays with perception and senses

Fettercairn Distillery has launched The Vanguard Series, two new whiskies that have been developed to explore what is possible in flavour.

26th Sep 2025

Can music, smells or your surroundings affect your sense of taste? It’s something I’ve looked at in a past episode of Scran, and can confirm that taking away one sense - in this case sight - and playing different music can indeed make a difference in taste.

But what happens if you taste in colour? Known as synaesthesia, Whyte and Mackay’s master whisky maker Gregg Glass has this unique perceptual phenomenon and, inspired by this, his team at Fettercairn have developed two whiskies - the start of the Vanguard series.

Inspired by master whisky maker Gregg Glass’ unique synaesthesia, tasting notes and how he “tastes in colour”, The Vanguard Series will explore how we experience flavour through the senses.

The three-year series starts with two inaugural releases - a rare 29 Year Old and a non-aged statement.

Fettercairn vanguard whiskies

To underline this connection, and give a sensory experience to whisky fans, Fettercairn has partnered with Barry Burns of globally renowned rock band Mogwai and multi-award-winning singer/songwriter Kathryn Joseph, who have collaborated for the first time to create a unique piece of music, entitled Lorica, based on Gregg Glass's tasting notes.

Speaking about the whisky-making process, master whisky maker Gregg Glass said “In the development of any whisky, it’s a new experience. I tend to pick up sensory elements, particularly linking colour and texture to the flavour and character of the whisky.

“I capture that in my tasting notes, which show how the colours I experience change as the flavour of the whisky evolves.

“In the development of Vanguard, I’d always listen to a huge range of music, which can have a huge influence on how I experience flavour.

“The Vanguard series explores what’s possible within whisky. We’ve been looking to create the ideal way of delivering layers of flavour in these whiskies: which casks we select, the components of those casks, what character they bring, and how they will evolve our house style in new and exciting ways.

“The series represents the distillery's commitment to flavour-led whisky making and boundary-pushing innovation.”

Speaking about the collaboration, musician Barry Burns added: “The opportunity to work with Gregg and the rest of the Fettercairn team felt like a genuine collaboration, and it's really interesting what they are trying to do with this release.

“Kathryn and I have toured together, and know each other well, but it was a fantastic opportunity for us to collaborate together on a unique piece of music and we had a lot of fun taking inspiration from the colours and shapes of Gregg’s tasting notes, but understanding what he was listening to and inspired by when he was making the whisky which we had the privilege to sample.”

Fettercairn vanguard whiskies

Gregg Glass's whisky tasting notes

Kathryn Joseph said: “I loved working with Barry on this. He is the best and I am very lucky.  Meeting Gregg and seeing and hearing how much he cares about what he does was beautiful. I love whisky now!

“Thank you Fettercairn. It felt very quickly like all the elements of this made sense to me. How Gregg sees and hears the colours of the tastes, the beautiful stills of the visuals and the way that Barry is able turn everything into perfect beauty.”

Global single malt whisky specialist, Andrew Lennie added: “The Vanguard Series is all about how we experience flavour through the senses. These two inaugural releases are still uniquely Fettercairn, but they push our house style in totally different directions to create something that really feels like a glimpse of the future.

“Our senses are interconnected, never more than when we experience flavours which have vivid scents, textures and even colours.

“Having Barry and Kathryn produce such a beautiful, dramatic piece of music based on those ideas has been incredible. We’re absolutely blown away by what they’ve produced.”

Vanguard 29 Year Old (£2,500 RRP) is an extremely rare release of just 99 bottles worldwide. The whisky began its journey on December 11, 1995, spending 25 years in a refill bourbon hogshead before being transferred to an exceptionally rare French pink oak cask from Bordeaux cooperage Demptos.

The "Essencia Barrel," known affectionately as "Pink Oak," is distinguished by its high levels of carotenoids, which impart elegant fruit and floral notes, particularly distinctive strawberry characteristics that perfectly complement Fettercairn's tropical house style.

The whisky was first laid down in ex-bourbon barrels on February 28, 2008, developing for 14 years before being finished in unique hybrid casks constructed from American oak staves and heavily toasted Scottish oak heads crafted from naturally wind-felled Highland Scottish oak.

Created in collaboration with Speyside Cooperage, these 200-litre hybrid barrels offer a unique maturation environment that enhances the whisky's natural beauty. The result is a balance of Fettercairn's signature tropical house style with subtle warming wood spice notes.