Whisky: Macduff “Glen Deveron” 12 Year (c. 1980s)

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 40%

Cask: Oak

Age: 12 Years

Nose: Motor oil, garage rags, li hing mui, cloves, anise, pickled plums, lemon peel candies, melona bar, patchouli, boba cheese foam.

Palate: Medium to light-bodied, persimmons, orange rind, pickled plums, ginger candies, li hing mui, mouth coating and oily, cream, salty-sweet candied nuts, faint cigarette smoke, maple, almond cookies.

Finish: Long and lingering with star anise, li hing mui, and a gentle drying

Score: 7+

Mental Image: Sepia-Toned Candy Jars

Narrative & Notes: Our theme at a local whisky club event last summer was “vintage malts,” and this Macduff was one of eight bottles we included in the tasting— with another couple of bonus drams thrown in by attendees. This review is the last in the series for me, and I have taken my sweet time reviewing it for the simple reason that it and the Glendullan I posted a few months back were by far my favorites from the event and the biggest surprises of the afternoon. I expected so little from these low-proof vintage bottles that I was blown away by their mouthfeel and complexity (less so for the Glendullan, which was more straightforward but very clean).

I often think of Macduff as producing a creamy, caramel malt that reminds me of cream cheese frosting— similar to Auchroisk, but with a richer, more characterful set of flavors. This vintage release was nothing like that. The cask did some heavy lifting here; some of these flavors are classic sherry notes, though usually ones you would expect to find in much older malts.

I thought this was surprisingly industrial and funky on the nose, though lovely layers of spice and fruit slowly emerged. The palate seemed to pick up where the aroma left off and launched right into a musty, fruity spice that reminded me of old-school Crack Seed stores— a type of local Chinese candy or snack shop. The finish was very long with a gentle drying and notes of sweet-salty candies.

Overall, I thought this was fantastic. While I doubt the modern Glen Deveron can live up to this bottle— and I have no idea if this bottle was typical of 1980s releases or abnormally good— I am curious to try more drams from under the label. This vintage bottle scratched the right itch and did it well; an excellent example of how good lower-proof whiskies can be, though obviously not a bottle one can easily grab.