Review by: Raygun

Back with another from a set of minis from TBWC that I bought, all 10-12 years, unpeated, in bourbon casks. Figured it was a good way to get acquainted with the brand. First was a Macduff, which wasn’t bad at all. The Blair Athol, however, was not good. This is the third of five. Miltonduff is a distillery I’m not very familiar with at all. According to my files, had a total of two, and one was a Battlehill that’s best not to speak of. Owned by Chivas and mostly used in Ballentine’s blends. Rested about 20 minutes.

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Distillery: Miltonduff

Bottler: That Boutique-y Whisky Company

Region/style: Speyside single malt Scotch

ABV: 50.6%

Age: 10 years

Cask type: Unstated, but has to be bourbon.

Color: 0.8 deep gold. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

Price: About $31 for the set of five, or just over $6 each.

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Nose: Caramel-dipped cookies. Bread. Pears and some orange. There’s a little herbal sharpness that I can’t identify exactly. Somewhat like cough drops.

Palate: As with the others in the set, it’s pretty stripped down. 10 years in a bourbon cask (maybe refill?) doesn’t leave a lot of places to hide. Some grass I didn’t pick up from the nose. Caramel cookies with orange. Something herbal, like oregano. A touch of earth. It’s a peculiar set of flavors.

Finish: The earthy side turns up a notch. Still has the caramel cookies. The pear has gone missing, but I still get a little orange. A bit of bitter greens, like mustard greens. That’s a new one for me. Still a bit of cough drop flavor. And some cocoa, to continue the weird.

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Conclusion: More going on here than I expected. Some unusual flavors, but they were mostly subtle additions and the sum of it all ended up pretty nice. Nothing amazing, but an interesting pour. Does require some tolerance for odd flavors. This is another that would rate a little higher on the “interesting?” scale versus the “delicious?” scale.

Buy a bottle? Wouldn’t leap at this, but I’m intrigued by Miltonduff now.

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)