Dufftown 9 year old 1999 Gordon & MacPhail, cask 8787 for Binny's

Dufftown Distillery keeps growing and was, for at least a decade, one of Diageo's two most productive malt facilities (the other being Caol Ila). As its floor maltings were retired in 1968, its still count increased from two to four. 1974 brought its fifth and sixth stills, while the seventh and eighth were added in 1979. Today it runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Apparently people are still drinking Bell's.

I'm not sure if I've ever tried a Dufftown single cask before, so I am grateful that My Annoying Opinions sent me a good-sized pour from his bottle of this old Binny's exclusive. Like Mr. Opinions, I miss the days when access to the Illinois retailer's stock was easier. Sadly I only learned about their bounty a couple of years before their shipping gates closed. No matter how this whisky turns out, I applaud the Binny's crew for selecting a Dufftown when better beloved distilleries' single casks were more available back in 2009.

Distillery: Dufftown

Region: Speyside (Moray)

Owner: Diageo

Independent Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail

Range: Reserve

Age: approx. 9 years (1999-2009)

Maturation: bourbon cask?

Cask #: 8787

Outturn: 217 bottles
Exclusive to: Binny's
Alcohol by Volume: 56.4%

(Thank you, Mr. Opinions)

NEAT

Lots of barley and limes in this nose, with ocean air and tapioca pudding around the edges. Hints of guava and anise appear after some time. There's also something funky going on here, almost manure (a term also used by readers to describe my speculative screenwriting).

The palate starts with limes and barley, and a bit of tannins. It has just a hint of the nose's almost-peated note, which gradually fades as the citrus blooms. It's nice and crisp, I just wish it could shake that oak.

The gently sweet finish holds limes and flowers, with hints of salt and metal. 

DILUTED TO 46%abv

The nose feels more pulled together. Limes and lemons meet fresh herbs. The barley has receded, meeting some vanilla pudding in the middle.

The palate has become leaner and creamier. A curious bitterness works pretty well with the fruit, which tilts more towards mango than limes. Hints of grasses and grains in the background.

It finishes with a menthol glow, some mild bitterness, vanilla and a pinch of barley grist.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This young, lively Dufftown exceeded my expectations. Even though the whisky is all of nine years old, it was bottled at the right time. That oak was ready to jump in and wreck the fun. Mr. Opinions was an even bigger fan of this cask than I, though we agree that dilution lifts up the whisky. Seeing another baby Dufftown exclusive cask arrive in The States would be almost delightful. Would people buy it? Does any "limited" release whisk(e)y not sell out now? Dufftown could put FOMO to the test.

Availability - All gone
Pricing - $50 in 2009
Rating - 84 (diluted)

The Singleton of Dufftown 12 year old

Staying true to form as the blogger who writes about only the sexiest of single malts, I am reviewing two Dufftowns this week.

Built in 1895, Dufftown distillery was in the hands of the Mackenzie family until 1933 when it was brought into Arthur Bell's stable, and it has remained a major ingredient in the Bell's blends ever since, even after both brands were consumed by Diageo.

The Big D rolled out The Singleton malts in 2006: Glen Ord for Asia, Glendullan for North America, and Dufftown for Europe. I reviewed the Glendullan more than ten years ago (sweet Jeebus), finding it lackluster even during that starry-eyed era. Two years later, I found the Glen Ord much more to my liking. It's time to close the loop with a sample of the Dufftown 12yo Singleton obtained from Florin (a prince) at least seven years ago.

Distillery: Dufftown

Region: Speyside (Moray)

Owner: Diageo

Range: The Singleton

Age: at least 12 years old

Maturation: ???

Alcohol by Volume: 40%

(thank you, Florin!)

NOTES

Its nose offers idiosyncrasies missing from the other two Singleton 12s. Aside from familiar but welcoming notes of toasted barley, grapefruit and nectarines, there's something industrial going on, like metal, grease and/or spent synthetic oil. After 30+ minutes, notes of fresh thyme and fermenting garlic float up in the background.

The palate is not Smooth™ like most 40%/filtered/dyed official 12 year olds. It's sharp, metallic and bitter, with something musty going on in the background. With its gentle sweetness, the whole palate is a bit messy, but in an interesting way.

The whisky normalizes in the finish, shedding its oddities while holding onto a barley note. It's tangy, sweet and brief.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This is the first time I've used the word "idiosyncrasies" on this blog until today. Who would have known it would be about one of The Singletons? I'm pretty certain my palate is not on the bad drugs, because I distinctly remember trying this bottle with Florin, and both of us finding the whisky to be very quirky. Or maybe this was just a magic bottle.

Sadly, all of that character could not withstand the 40%/filtered/dyed presentation. May I be the first human on record to request a 46%abv/ncf/nc version of Dufftown 12 year old? In the meantime, I should just try the one cask strength Dufftown I have on hand...

Availability - Worldwide, no longer just for Europeans
Pricing - $30-$45
Rating - 81