We will have a modest ten-year-old Miltonduff, yet it is special anyway. How so? Well, Cadenhead selected three Bourbon hogsheads, vatted them together, then poured the result into nine sherry firkins*, and bottled those nine individually, one for each of the Cadenhead shops. In other words, they are nine variations on one theme.
* If you do not know what a firkin is, it is a fifty-litre cask, named after an Archibald Theodore Julian Macfirkin, third Earl of Sunderland, Viscount of Gloucester, who frequently drank his weight in fortified wine, and ended up in a very sickly condition the following morning -- what is now known as a firkin' hangover. But do not quote me on that.
Miltonduff-Glenlivet 10yo b.2020 (53.4%, Cadenhead specially bottled for Cadenhead's Whisky Shop London, 3 x Bourbon Hogsheads re-racked into 1 x Sherry Firkin for 6 months): it has turned rather murky and cloudy in the open bottle, which reminds me of the unpleasant experience from last month with Black Bowmore. Nose: loads and loads of chocolate, dark and bitter, chocolate coulis, dark pralines, roasted cocoa beans, cocoa butter, yet also Brazil-nut oil, teak oil, teak furniture, a drinks cabinet, roasted pecans, perhaps a touch of olive... This is quite wine-y, yet rather elegant at the same time. The second sniff feels dryer, with rancio and beef stock. Mouth: pretty powerful, it has hot coffee, piping-hot sticky toffee pudding, fudge, straight out of the oven ... The chocolate is still there, but slightly less obvious, a bit smothered by the alcohol. Brazil-nut butter appear, melted dark chocolate, chocolate cream, chocolate pudding, chocolate sauce -- do you see where I am going, with this? That is right: the chocolate is back, once the taste buds are accustomed to the strength. Finish: meow! The chocolate is loud and clear, with dark-chocolate truffles, dark-chocolate coulis, creamy and balanced, poured onto sticky toffee pudding, dark-chocolate brownie, even oxtail broth and shiitake cooking water, cocoa butter is the lingering note that sticks, after a few sips. I forget to try it with water. This one does not play too many notes, but the few it does play, it plays really well! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)
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