Dufftown Single Malts has gotten a rather harsh reputation, much due to some very outspoken critic by Millwall fanatic and God of whisky Jim Murray through his gospels in his annual Whisky Bible. I do not necessarily agree with this, but it is a whisky that just a bit more often than not pulls a rather short straw.
Dufftown NAS 1992 40% OB for Cancer Research
One bottled to celebrate 70 years of fundraising for the Dufftown & District Cancer Reasearch Commitee. A good whisky for a good cause? A square shaped miniature bottle. It smells rather big and oaky, basil, barbecue sauce, spicy, oily, whiffs of old tobacco and wet fabric. It's a bit rough around the edges, but still pleasant. The taste is burnt and bitter, marzipan, white rum, molasses spirit, ginger, crayons (the one we all chewed because of their exciting colors when we were kids, at least I did some). The aftertaste is just foul and burnt.
This is one to try late in the evening when you palate is warmed up, not a starter: 4
The Singleton of Dufftown 12yo 40% OB
From a small plastic container, I would believe Whyte & Mackay's misfortune with that material as alcohol containers back in the 80's would've taught others to stay away. I don't know if Diageo still does these plastic containers or not. Orange hue. Perhaps some E's? Smells light, vanilla, custard, mayonnaise, cotton candy, a very light one so far. The taste is burnt and sweet, almost vile, but it has some small hint of ammonium that carries it a bit more towards being drinkable. All in all I have to say this one can't be good for much other than drain cleansing.
If this is the one that ticked Jim Murray off, I can certainly relate to a degree: 2
Dufftown 12yo 1997-2009 43% Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & Macphail
One of the newer bottlings from this range with a slightly higher strength than previous versions. I also think they have done somthing with the coloring as I see many of the newer bottlings are paler and more "natural" so to speak. White wine color on this one. Smells light and spirity, some vanilla and rhubarb, but not much more. The taste is just bitter, almost smoky, bitter peat? No, its not that, it burns a bit and the spirity bitterness leaves no room for other flavors to appear. I have to try this one with water as I think it will open up and more sweetness will arrive. Now, I was wrong again, it gets all volatile in my mouth with water, and now I don't even think I'd serve this to my second to worst enemy.
G&M shouldn't bottle such whisky in the CC-series, it will only weaken its reputation: 1
Dufftown 12yo 1980-1993 43% Master of Malt cask#19877
So, someone must have seen something in this distillery to put forth a single cask bottling. Third 12yo in a row, and by God, may it be better than the previous two. White wine color, smells again very spirity. There's some vinegar and lime, bitter and sour notes in this, which keeps me alert. I hope it can make for an interesting palate. The taste is at first sour, young banana peel and lemon, before it all turns peppery. Very nice peppery notes, some galangal, black peppers, horseradish. Quite interesting. I'd say if you are a feinschmecker who'd prefer your whiskies from sherry casks and older than the career of Peter Shilton, may I suggest you move on from this. But if you want a whisky that you think you might not really enjoy at first sniff, but just keeps growing as you become more familiar with it, this is one for you.
An interesting experience, I wonder what it'd be at cask strength, let's find out: 5
Dufftown 17yo 1978-1995 58.5% James MacArthur's
If I was to be honest, which I usually am, I didn't have the greatest expectations for this tasting, but then again I'm always open for amazement and more than often routing for the underdog. James MacArthur bottlings has many a time saved my good relationship with a distillery during an otherwise bleak session. Let's hope that is the case for Dufftown Distillery tonight. Light yellow color. Smells sweet, toffee, caramel, cinnamon, carrot juice, strawberry jam, salty jjam(??), jam upon salty cheese let's say Gorgonzola or even Gruyere. The taste is burnt, just burnt in the first tasting. This one needs both water and air (patience). With a little bit of both it turns more smoky, cucumber, glue, elderflower limonade, blank paint, oily beyond belief. Another one that wouldn't fit into many people's category of malts to enjoy, but I think it has a pleasant aroma once you get to know it, before it turns around and shoots you in the face...
A cabaret of nasty proportions, not to be taken lightly, but enjoyed by those who dare: 4
Dufftown 13yo 59.4% James MacArthur's
So, another try at the Dufftown/JMcA combo, a younger version this time, at a slightly higher strength. It's hard not thinking to yourself when trying so many less than good consecutive whiskies, this might not be the distillery for me. But let's give it a last try. The color is water, completely blank. Smells burnt and spirity. Aftershave, alcohol, antibacterial liquid, doesn't even remind me of whisky, more in the new-make territory. The taste is raw and spirity, pine wood, oaky, spirity, sweet bourbon notes of vanilla overpowered by alcohol sting. I must advice you, I tried this whisky about 4 hours later than the rest of the tasting, but still it has these spirity notes which makes it volatile. I need to add water. With a substantial amount of water added, reduced to about 30+abv (it took me this long to notice a difference). It turns tongue-numbing, vodka on the rocks and gin with orange juice.
It'll take many great "word by mouths" to convince me to try Dufftown again: 1.5
Next tasting: Glen Garioch Distillery
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