Miltonduff 10yo Gordon & MacPhail

Miltonduff: a pleasant surprise

http://www.axmaltwhisky.co.uk/75.html

Venturing further into obscure distillery territory, today's stop is at the Miltonduff distillery. A disitillery currently owned by Pernod Ricard, though the bottles that you nowadays find were still distilled under the previous management by Allied Domecq.

With a set of six stills and a yearly production 5.5 million liters of pure alcohol this is one of the bigger acts in the industry, standing shoulder to shoulder with other giants like Balvenie, Dufftown, Glen Ord and Tomatin.

 How is it possible that it managed to stay under the radar for so long?


The answer is simple, this distillery does no longer target the single malt crowds, as it withdrew its only official release; the 12yo expression from the market a few years ago.
Thus apart from the Ballantine blends we are left with what's being provided by independent bottlers and the semi-official releases by Gordon & MacPhail.

The Whisky

This 10yo semi-official bottling of Miltonduff by G&M, is rarely reviewed and even then seems to divide the public into two camps. Either you love it or you hate it.

http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-3944.aspx

Nose: a fresh and fruity nose: sherried apple, elderberry, pineapple and a touch of melon. Young and grassy with floral notes and a hint of toffee.
(with water: notes of heather, it becomes fruitier with more apple tones. A dash of water strongly reinforces the aromas of the nose)

Mouth: a fizzing and smooth mouth feel: fruity and round, sharp (a bit harsh) peppery notes, honeydew, cereals and raisins.
(with water: water smoothens the sharper tones and brings out the floral notes)

Finish: short and drying, with a touch of spicy vanilla in the tail, toasted oak and a spoonful of honey

The Verdict

An impressive strength in taste for a 40% dram. With its beautiful nose and maybe a bit less spectacular palate (well the fizzing mouth feel experience was quite interesting), it is overall a highly likable and easy all-rounder. 

Not a grand complex powerhouse, put as far as light Speysiders go, this might just be the bang for your buck.

I can definitely recommend this one.

SCORE: 84