Review by: Raygun
Getting around to my final sample from a small series of Millburns, thanks to a whisky friend splitting them. Millburn was one of the casualties of the 1980s whisky loch, closing down in 1985. A Rare Malts Millburn bottling was among the weirdest Scotches I’ve ever had. However, while it can still get pungent, the others I’ve had out of this split have been much more palatable. This last is from Blackadder, famous for not filtering out the cask char when they bottle though I’m not sure if that’s true of this bottle. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 20 minutes.
Distillery: Millburn
Bottler: Blackadder
Region/style: Highlands single malt Scotch
ABV: 58.5%. Cask strength.
Age: 25 years old. Distilled on November 12, 1974 and bottled in May 2000.
Cask type: Unknown, likely bourbon, #4616. 249 bottles.
Color: 1.1 burnished. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.
Nose: Pretty conventional by Millburn standards. Very fruity, featuring apricot, peach, and mango. But it’s got enough of that mustard and horseradish pungency that I think I could recognize it blind. Can’t miss the oak, either. I’m starting to pick up that char smell now.
Palate: Wonderful. Rich, old, oaky, but also brings vibrant fruit. Toffee, old furniture, apricot, peach, mango, and now overripe papaya. There’s a charred kind of flavor; not peaty, but something almost burnt. Maybe cask char. Picking up grapefruit now. Very little of the mustard pungency. There’s power, but layers to it as well.
Finish: Oaky, but not overpowering. Likely a refill cask. Toffee and there’s the char flavor. Tart crust going along with the fruit, which is even more tropical now. Kiwi joining the mango and papaya. Brings some heat for sure.
Conclusion: Fantastic. A little less Millburn pungency than others, but it’s there if you look closely. The fruitiest of these samples, but also has that old flavor. That happens to be one of my favorite combinations, so this is absolutely my jam. I’m sure a bottle would be prohibitively expensive. I’ll have to make do with this sample.
Score: 92
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)
