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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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June 2, 2021 |
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Vacation session off-Islay, on the mainland
with three old Dufftown |
I hear you, what does Dufftown have to do with Islay? Well, Diageo's new Dufftown 54 years old has just been official launched in Greenwich (theme = time) and I couldn't have waited until the end of our wee virtual Feis Ile sessions to publish my notes. One cannot change his own nature. But first, a wee apéritif that was bottled more or less when the very old new 54 yo was distilled, then another super-old Dufftown, a 44 yo, and then the said 54 yo. |
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Dufftown-Glenlivet 'Over 8 years' (80 proof, OB, 1960s) 
A wonderful old 'black label' by Arthur Bell & Sons. This one had a screw cap while others were sporting cork stoppers. These do not seem to do too well at auctions but I've tried some brilliant ones. Colour: gold. Nose: typical OBE, this time totally on shoe and metal polishes. That's absolutely not an undesirable start, especially since green bananas, apples and cold cuts tend to follow, plantains, old tea box, old candles, perhaps a little pollen, perhaps a touch of marrow… Very nice aging in glass if you ask me, I doubt the whisky was like this back in the 1960s. Mouth: oh great! Never overlook these old Dufftowns – the same could be said about the Blair Athols BTW. Some kind of Asian sweet and salty dish with bananas stewed in curry sauce, a little tobacco perhaps, bitter herbs, then rather salty plums, bouillons, marrow quenelles in chicken broth or something… Plus a touch of honey that keeps the sweetness, well, sweet. Do not despise these at auctions (well some would say please despise these at auctions). Wonderful barley-fat body. Finish: rather long, with a lingering oiliness, some salt, more dry bananas, soups, honeys… Very bouillony aftertaste. Comments: very solid old malt, pretty thick, further aged and, as Sig. Samaroli would have said, 'refined' in glass. Worth every euro if you ask me.
SGP:462 - 90 points. |
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Dufftown 44 yo 1975/2019 (41.8%, Hunter Laing, Platinum Old & Rare, 239 bottles) 
Excuse me, was 1975 really 44 (right, 45 or 46) years ago? I mean, Frampton Comes Alive? Fleetwood Mac's Rumours? Physical Graffiti? Wish You Were Here? Miles' Agharta? Na na na that's not possible… Colour: gold. Nose: it is a glorious feeling to find in this one some of the aromas that were already in the old 8, first and foremost bananas. We're not talking banana foam or crazy sweets, we're talking real small bananas. Barley as well, brioche flavoured with orange blossom water, a touch of fresh butter, some pollen and beeswax for sure, a mocha-spoon of yogurt, touches of earl grey and Wulong teas, then flowers (gorse)… It is all a tad delicate and perhaps fragile, but as always with very old malts, only the palate will tell. Mouth: good bottlers would not bottle whiskies that went off the road. That was certainly not the case here, even if as usual, old wood and time would have brought additional notes of herbal teas and very soft 'wood spices', around cinnamon. But it remained fresh if not totally vibrant, with these bananas yet again, or earl grey, scones and cakes at a lady's tea party, shortbread, bergamots… Very delicate but not too fragile. Finish: medium, with hints of oranges and many herbal teas. Five O'clock tea. Comments: it was a little tough after the gorgeous old 8, but I believe this old glory still had a few moves left, so to speak. Love it that they wouldn't have tried to finish it in… whatever. Rum?
SGP:351 - 89 points. |
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The Singleton of Dufftown 54 yo 1966/2021 'Parangon of Time No.2' (44.1%, OB, 235 bottles)
As it appears, this very old one was finished in Pedro, which I didn't know when I wrote the last lines for the 1975. All right then, who am I. Was I the honourable SWA, I'm not sure I wouldn't allow the distilleries to add, say up to 5% of younger malt to any old juice to beef it up a wee bit, while still being allowed to keep the original age statement. I mean, rather than PX, rum or brandy through a cask! But again, who am I. By the way, what a stunning decanter by Baccarat, almost a museum piece. And let's remember that this was distilled before the Distillery's expansion and the closing down of the malting floors, which took place in 1968. Colour: almost green/bronze. We all remember stories about nails, patches etc… Nose: oh?! Some kind of Turkish fruitcake – or an assortment of delights – with figs and fig wine, raisins and, well, PX, prunes and, well, old armagnac, a touch of tar liqueur, chestnut purée, some thick trappist beer, Westvleteren-style, then smaller aromas, around menthol and camphor, old oloroso rather than PX, some coffee, a little earth and meat, old red Burgundy, miso-y aromas… A great example of a very old whisky that really got more complex. In theory, that's always the case, but in reality, I'm not so sure. Mouth: oozes of smartness. Stunning mentholy arrival, totally herbal in a great way, with some old chartreuse, verbena liqueur, several other old herbal drinks (Fernet, for example), then even vermouth, Noilly… Then back on puréed chestnuts, bouillon, suet, roasted raisins, plus that thing that we always love in any old malts, 'old books'. I know we never ever eat old books, but remember when we write 'old books', that means 'something reminiscent of old books'. Finish: medium, a little more on raisins, both stewed and roasted, perhaps a touch of toffee, but always with this lovely meatiness in the aftertaste. More bouillon and raisins! And mint sauce, after all we're in the UK. Oh and cigars. Comments: Master Blender Maureen Robinson confirmed this was a single cask before the finishing period. I believe they did that extremely well, it's very difficult for some really old malts to fetch a very high score in my wee book. Oh and I hope you've noticed that I've spared you any silly comments on jazz, blues and rock and roll in 1966, while I could have… (S., no, please don't).
SGP:561 - 92 points. |
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