Whisky : Miltonduff 9 Year SMWS 72.81 “Gently, Friendly”

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 59.4%

Cask : First Fill Ex-Bourbon

Age : 9 Year  (Distilled 24 May 2010)

Nose : Cream, vanilla, and fruit. A wave of sugary cream with cream cheese, fresh butter, and vanilla bean. Lovely hints of florals appeared here and there with elderflower, wildflowers, and apple blossom. A sweet fruitiness took hold as notes of strawberries, pears, and marzipan complimented hints of old weathered oak and honey.

Palate : Full-bodied and oily with crisp flavors of vanilla, wildflower, and cream. Buttery and creamy with a twist of lemon zest and floral herbs— elderflower with cinnamon sticks and cardamon. Youthful and spirited with orchard fruits. Toward the end were marzipan and macaron pastries with a creamy filling and sugary citrus, which became more assertive with a few drops of water.

Finish : Lingering pastries and citrus.

Score : 5

Mental Image : Bucolic Old Barns and Meadows

Notes : This reminded me of those new-fangled weddings hosted in old barns— the kind where the barn might not even be an actual barn; it was probably built pre-weathered for hosting weddings. The kind without any animal scents soaked up into the wood and very few brown recluse spiders. By that, I mean, this Miltonduff was pleasant but unremarkable.

I love the creamy mouthfeel of Miltonduff, but I am yet to try one that does not eventually feel overly saccharine for my taste. This cask was the first one I bothered to properly review, but I have had a few others that similarly struck me. Miltonduff almost reminds me of Auchroisk, but with a greater tendency for fruit and slightly more buttercream. Neither has ever grabbed me, but I can see why they would be prized blending components. This dram had a wonderfully thick and oily mouthfeel with tons of creamy goodness that it could bring to the table in any blend, even at a comparatively young age.

Overall, this was a youthful, pleasant Miltonduff. SMWS has released several similar Miltonduff in the past year or so.  While this one was not my favorite, they have all been relatively similar and generally pleasant. It will be interesting to see how their sister casks, as I am sure SMWS has more maturing, do with more time.