Macduff 10 Year Batch 11 That Boutique-y Whisky Company

Review by: Raygun

No cask information provided, but it sure looks like a hogshead or maybe a barrel: ex-bourbon anyway. I’m not very familiar with That Boutique-y Whisky Company. They mostly bottle 500ml (or 375ml in the US) sizes, which would be nice if they didn’t charge nearly as much as 700ml bottles from other bottlers. Some upcharge for the convenience of a smaller size would be fine, but not where they usually end up. I did run across a set of minis, all around 10 years, at a reasonable price, so figured it was a good way to get acquainted with the brand. Picked this one out at random to start with.

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Distillery: Macduff

Bottler: That Boutique-y Whisky Company

Region: Highlands

ABV: 52%. Maybe cask strength? Seems a bit low.

Age: 10 years

Cask type: Unknown, surely ex-bourbon

Price: Around $35 for the set of 5 minis

Color: 0.2 pale straw. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered. Color isn’t that important, but this light and this young does not fill me with optimism.

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Nose: Cereal (Honeycomb, Golden Grahams), supermarket lemon cookies, a touch of varnish.

Palate: Somewhat pleasantly surprised here, honestly. I expected very little based on the nose. Very cereal-forward, with a pleasant honey sweetness. Not overly complex, but nice enough. Some hay and something a little more herbal that I can’t pin down exactly. Kind of like cough drops, in a good way. Eucalyptus, maybe?

Finish: More cereal sweetness and that herbal flavor keeps things interesting, except it’s bugging me that I can’t figure out what it is. Not too grassy, which is a flavor I don’t care for when it’s very prominent. It’s all pretty simple and cereal-y, but well balanced.

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Conclusion: Don’t mind admitting when I was wrong. A rather no-name distillery, young, and clearly with little cask influence had me concerned. This isn’t stellar at all, but it’s quite acceptable. Reminds of a less austere and more cereal-y Glencadam. I don’t especially want a bottle, but I would never turn down a glass. And gives up hope for other Macduffs.

Buy a bottle? Not this one, but Macduff has got some potential.

Final Score 74

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)