
May 2, 2017

Miltonduff, very vertically

Not a very common name anymore, Miltonduff. It seems that the latest large verticale we’ve done took place in 2007! As we sometimes do, let’s start with an old apéritif…

Milton-duff 13 yo (85° proof, OB, George Ballantine & Son, 1950s)

Perhaps the highest-ranked Miltonduff. There’s also been a lighter one later on (1970, 43%) that was excellent too. Colour: pale gold. Nose: artisan cider, menthol, green tea, shoe polish. You get the idea, I suppose. This is Old-Highland style whisky, austere, pretty herbal (I also get parsley, beyond the mint), and getting really very earthy. Working in the garden, cutting peat, harvesting mushrooms… Mouth: pwah! Majestic, salty, lemony, wonderfully herbal, and hugely, err, big. Superb honeydew and old-style mead, Bénédictine, smoked liquorice or something, a lot of mint, both white and green… Also love this ashy/polishy background. Stunning old bottle, massive whisky. Finish: very long, waxier, always very minty, liquoricy, very sooty… Huge whisky. Comments: what was also fantastic was the very oily mouth feel. But then of course, I suppose this was other barley varieties, direct firing, floor maltings (at least partly), different yeast strains… And all that. Extraordinary whisky… and the worst apéritif you could find (well done, S.). SGP:473 - 94 points.

Let’s proceed with caution, I’m afraid I’ve already wrecked this session, but as they say, where there's a will there's a way… And where’s the anti-maltoporn brigade when you need them?

Miltonduff 17 yo 1999/2016 (54.8%, The Single Malts of Scotland, hogshead, cask #5012, 243 bottles)

Colour: straw. Nose: of course we’re nowhere near the fabulous explosion of the old 13, but this baby’s doing its best, with a very barleyish start and some very nice touches of herbs and maple syrup, as well as quite some toasted oak and some kind of soft earthiness in the background. Very nice oranges, and a little toffee. With water: porridge and ale coming through. Raw malt. Mouth (neat): creamy, and in that respect not too far from the old one, starting with oranges and lemon curd, going on with bags and bags of cornflakes, and adding a little pepper and a waxy honeyness. With water: really good, shortbread, oatcakes, and a little honey again. Finish: medium, with a little beeswax and always quite a lot of sweet cereals and grains. Comments: very honest, big ‘natural’ malt whisky. Not one you’ll remember forever, but it’s very satisfying. SGP:451 - 84 points.

Miltonduff 21 yo 1995/2016 (51.5%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, refill bourbon, cask # DL 11537, 244 bottles)

Colour: straw. Nose: same family as that of the 17 yo, just with less oak impact, thus some fresher herbal and fruity tones. Funny feeling of yogurt and porridge, apples, toasted oak, and a large bag of roasted peanuts. With water: more peanuts. Seriously. Mouth (neat): same feeling, a more vibrant, fresher Miltonduff, with orange peel and lemon meringue, then rather Jaffa cakes, and a little lavender (sweets). With water: more oranges! Finish: medium, rather fresh, with oranges and a little roasted malt. Comments: perhaps not worth writing a novel, but this one too is extremely all right. SGP:551 - 84 points.

Miltonduff-Glenlivet 21 yo 1994/2016 (51.5%, Cadenhead, Wine Cask, château Lafitte, 228 bottles)

Here come our dear friends with their ‘Lafitte’. The whisky’s spent more or less seven years in those Bordeaux casks, so it should be red. Colour: not, let’s rather say late-season apricot. Nose: this worked. The whisky got tenser, almost a little smoky, not sulphury at all, with some melted cassata and whiffs of peonies, then peaches and soft fruity bread. Nice grassy/earthy tones from the oak, probably French. Yeah I should know. With water: really very lovely, earthy, greatly leathery, cigary… Mouth (neat): I’ll say it, I’m finding the arrival very strange. Bitter oranges and scented soap? Cassis leaves, a little rubber… Quick… With water: no water, no pasaran water. Finish: gets very leafy and leathery. Comments: totally a nosing whisky, so truly a bang-for-your-buck whisky, since you don’t need to drink it. Seriously, I thought the nose was magnificent, but the palate was really… very uncertain to me. SGP:361 - 80 points (for the nose).

Miltonduff 33 yo 1982/2016 (48.9%, Berry Bros & Rudd, for for Japan, cask #3734, hogshead)

Indeed this one went to Japan, I think. Colour: pale gold. Nose: in the same vein as that of the very nice 1995 by DL, without much further ‘ageing’ that could be noticed. Nuts and oranges, plus some sour cream and green apples. Some gingery breadiness as well. Seriously, this could be 12 years of age. Mouth: certainly good, and rather malty, chocolaty, and gingery. It’s a feeling that’s a little uncommon. Peppery chocolate and bitter caramel? Gets maltier and maltier. Some peppered Nutella? Finish: medium, rather spicy, cake-y and chocolaty. Something slightly burnt in the aftertaste. Office coffee? Comments: certainly good, but I’m not totally convinced. Mind you, the age of Christ. SGP:451 - 82 points.

Miltonhaugh 28 yo 1966 (63.5%, The Whisky Connoisseur, cask #3154, +/-1994)

Remember Largiemeanoch/Bowmore? That’s the same bottlers, they used to do many miniatures as well. This could go awry, or glorious, let’s see… Colour: white wine. Nose: indeed we’re going towards the old 13 again, with a much fatter profile, more soot, shoe polish, herbs, grasses… Now at such high strength, let’s not take chances. With water: OMG! Please call the anti-maltoporn brigade… The number is 56 52 90 97… Not. Mouth (neat): amazing, simply amazing. Some mint and barley syrup, blended to perfection. Stupefying. Artisan marzipan of the highest grade. With water: sublime, simply sublime. Bright lemon liqueur, bitter almonds, the reddest pears, soot, salt, umami… We’ll keep this short, this is one the greatest whiskies I’ve ever tasted. I’d have ever thought this would happen with a Miltonduff – because yes, this is Miltonduff (update, it is actually Balmenach!) . Finish: very long, amazingly mineral, waxy, oily, salty, ‘Japanese’ (all those fantastic salty sauces they have)… Simply dazzling. Comments: seriously, I’d have never thought this humble little bottle would be this earth-shattering. Now, anyone who’s tasted Largiemeanoch knows that... You should never miss nearby garage sales while in the UK (a word to the wise!) SGP:563 - 96 points.

We’ve still got one, shall we have it? Oh well, after all it’s the same vintage…

Miltonduff 36 yo 1966/2002 (42.7%, Duncan Taylor, Peerless, cask #1014, 182 bottles)

This wee baby from DT’s heyday. You know when they had all these ‘cheap’ glories, all distilled in the 1960s, Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, Macallan, Miltonduff indeed… Colour: gold. Nose: very lovely soft fruits, perhaps bananas, surely apples, peaches, butter pears… And once again there are fine herbs and essences, but they’re all extremely soft and ‘whispering’. Mouth: it’s rather tense and firm at 42%, with superb tropical fruits and a wee mentholy side. Bananas, blood oranges, guavas, and mint, with a touch of creamy custard on top of all that. A little green oak will prevent it from reaching the 90-mark, but we’re extremely close. Finish: medium, perhaps a tad dry and tea-ish. As I just said. Comments: what a lovely drop. Now, old ‘Peerlesses’ have been drunk. That was their fate anyway. SGP:551 - 89 points.

(Angus, Konstantin, Patrick, thank you)

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