Macduff 17yo 1978/1996 (43%, Signatory Vintage, Sherry Butt, C#6643, 1320b, b#79, 96/1247): nose: dusty coffee beans, dried-out old tyres and cereal dust. It is an old miniature, of course. Also, I would be surprised if this was not from a Sherry cask (oh! it is). Deeper nosing reveals a dusty Moka pot, which is to say tin, but also oxidised zinc and old copper coins. Perhaps this has faint brine and a drop of one varnish or another. Even later, there is a whiff of rusty metal, possibly gardening or farming tools, rusty and stained with earth. The second nose is more incisive, with rubbing alcohol. Mind you, it also showcases old cardboard and burnt-hazelwood gratings cooling on stone-floor tiles. Mouth: surprisingly sweet, with lozenges, crystallised sugar and boiled sweets -- a mix of crystallised orange segments and faded Mokatine. All of that is rather ancient, faded and dusty. Looking for it with purpose, one may detect oxidised tin (tin-knife blade, to be precise), but the palate is mostly sweetish, really. The second sip is a little bolder, especially when it comes to the sweetness, yet it does not deviate much: caramel, toffee, mocha sweets, all dusty. Finish: quite narrow and thin, the finish too is a display of faded Mokatine sweets. Wherther's Originals, hardened toffee, dusty fudge. Repeated quaffing merely increases the perception of alcohol. Not in a negative way! It just seems to hit the gob more strongly. The honey-coloured wood of a rustic armchair, a pot of lukewarm mocha on a wooden coffee table, and faded sweets in a dusty bowl. Perhaps fudge comes into focus more and more, as this takes on buttery notes towards the death. Simple and efficient dram. 7/10
Miltonduff 21yo 1978/1999 (59.2%, Signatory Vintage, Sherry Cask, C#1685, 620b, b#350, 99/122): nose: this is even more metallic, with a pouchful of copper coin, brass buttons and old, oxidised medals. Behind that is what appears to be fierce alcohol ready to jump at one and slap one in the face. This could be a Moka pot used to boil water, and a drop of white vinegar to clean it. In the same spirit (pun intended), we spot a drop of lemon juice on a tin plate -- a tin plate that becomes dustier and dustier with each minute. That is accompanied by citrus foliage, initially lemon and lime going on orange and bergamot. In the background, the insistent noser may detect a veil of earth so dry it comes close to dust or desert dirt. The second nose has wood dust and flowers in a vase, drying, yet still releasing some fragrance and nectar in the hope of attracting one last pollinator. Mouth: thick citrus juice without the biting acidity at first, and certainly little sweetness, even if that makes little sense on paper. Soon, it has a lush nutty woodiness, wide, noble, and softly bitter. It is wood that is glazed with a marmalade and some wax to keep it from tipping over into unpleasantly-bitter territory. It is also warm and numbing, despite the ABV being well controlled. Hard to imagine anyone guessing it correctly. The second sip sees worked leather, hardened suede, and a dollop of honey or marmalade with a dusting of sawdust. Finish: long and warming, welcoming, here are more (hot) marmalade and polished old wood, crystallised sweets and a nutty lick, all of which bring a clear, balanced bitterness to a finish that is otherwise fruitier than the nose and palate. The second gulp is very much in line, perhaps more furniture polish, and it adds oily green hazelnuts. In the long run, wood spices rally: we see ground ginger, grated nutmeg and dried lemongrass. Ground cloves? Very little of that, if any. This is pretty good too. 7/10
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| Sadly, no Dufftown d.1978 to make it a triplet. Happy birthday, CD! (who is not from 1978) |
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