Review by: Raygun

Millburn was one of the casualties of the 1980s whisky loch, closing down in 1985. The site is now occupied by a restaurant (not a very good one, if the Google ratings are any indication). I’ve had one before, a Rare Malts bottling that probably wins for weirdest Scotch I’ve ever had. It’s made me a bit nervous about trying more, but when a friend was splitting some, I took the plunge. Here’s one of them. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 30 minutes.

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Distillery: Millburn

Bottler: Cadenhead’s   

Region/style: Highlands single malt Scotch

ABV: 52.3%. Cask strength. 

Age: 31 years old. Distilled in 1974 and bottled in May 2006.      

Cask type: Bourbon hogshead, 246 bottles

Color: 1.2 chestnut. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Mercifully free of mustard and horseradish (see my other Millburn review). Woody as one would expect, but with a nice fruit freshness to it. Pear, apple, and some apricot. A little orange marmalade. There’s something more, too, something funky and dirty that’s taking me back to markets in SE Asia.                             

Palate: OK, there’s a hint of the pungent weirdness from that Rare Malts Millburn, but tamped way down. Caramel, scones, apple butter, pear cider, camphor, and a bit of snuffed candle. Mildly peated? Could well be. There’s something a little smoky. And a touch meaty. Very viscous and waxy. It has a similar dirty edge as the nose, but it’s hard to define precisely.           

Finish: Oaky and spicy. A tiny hint of mustard amidst the apple, apricot, and pear. Camphor, paraffin, and furniture polish. A little smoky again. It has that “old” flavor to it. Some grime and Asian market funk, for lack of a better description. Very long.     

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Conclusion: All right, this I can handle. A much easier experience, though there are links to that wild Rare Malts bottle. A little mustard, but more a background note than dominating. Some pleasant fruit, apricot and pear in particular coming through, but the woody and kind of farmy flavors are the star here. Something about it reminds me of the Lochside I tried, that sort of woody and grimy flavor paired with fresh fruit. It’s a great combination. I’m less scared of Millburn now.    . 

Score: 91

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)