September 10, 2014

Three Miltonduff for the crusaders in us

Not much to say about Miltonduff I’m afraid…

Miltonduff 7 yo (46%, Douglas Laing, Premier Barrel, 448 bottles, +/-2013)

… In its unlikely kind-of-retro stone decanter… Colour: gold. Nose: it’s very blendish malt whisky, I cannot not think of Chivas Regal 12. Roasted nuts, toasted bread, bits of oranges, Ovaltine, raisins, chocolate, fudge, soaked grains… It’s not unpleasant, but it’s probably not the Zauberflöte. Mouth: hey, I like this! Once again it’s rather Chivasy, and that works well. Oranges, honey, raisins, fudge… and all that. No need to write a novel about it, let alone an opera, but yeah, it’s pleasant. Finish: rather long, candied, raisiny and malty. Comments: very solid and honest at seven years of age. No flaws. Worth the crazy decanter! SGP:451 - 82 points.

Miltonduff 1992 (56.7%, Kreuzritter, sherry cask, +/-2014)

Kreuzritter is a small Swiss bottler. I think the bottling’s done by Jack Wiebers. Colour: gold. Nose: struck matches everywhere at first nosing, gas, truffles… Yes it is pretty sulphury. You like that or you don’t… With water: more struck matches and gunpowder. Sniffing an old rifle. Mouth (neat): forget about the nose, the palate is much more engaging. Heavy raisins and spices, mulled wine, caramel, bitter oranges, pepper… It’s big stuff. I’m sure the Kreuzritters would have liked it (Kreuzritters means crusaders). With water: fine, honeyed, rounded, raisiny, brioche-y and orangey. Walnuts after that, as often. Finish: long, rounded, with notes of spice cake. Comments: the nose was full of sulphur, but we avoided cooked cabbage. Really enjoyed the palate. SGP:551 - 77 points.

Let’s try an older one…

Miltonduff 30 yo 1982/2013 (49.5%, Maltbarn, sherry, 63 bottles)

Another very interesting micro-bottling by Germany’s Maltbarn. Colour: light gold, so probably refill. Nose: starts with a funny combo of acrid grassiness, grapefruits and coconut oil, before if starts to unfold rather on hay and lemongrass. A little sugarcane as well, a touch of acetone that was there right from the start, then more and more apple peelings and fresh almonds. Also raw barley. Mouth: starts with pepper and ‘green’ apple juice as well as quite a lot of lime, which makes it very zesty, almost green, with a bitterish side. A lot of green tea and then just a touch of butterscotch to make it slightly rounder. And then it tends to become very lemony. Maybe not the easiest and the smoothest dram ever. Finish: long, sharp, very lemony, with some green pepper in the aftertaste. Dry cider. Comments: a green Miltonduff! A little austere, perhaps. SGP:461 - 84 points.

Check the index of all Miltonduff I've tasted so far