Dufftown is, of course, one of the original Seven Stills of Dufftown. Pittyvaich is the distillery that was built in 1974 to increase Dufftown's capacity. It closed in 1993, making it the fourth-shortest operation in recent history, as far as I can tell (after Ladyburn, Ben Wyvis and Kinclaith).
Dufftown-Glenlivet 11yo 2007/2018 (51.6%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Sherry Hogshead): nose: it is all blackcurrant cough drops and a little camphor, minty, sappy gel and crushed pine needles. Stewed fruits appear after that, with rhubarb, rum-toft and prunes in syrup, crystallised blood oranges, perhaps baked apples. It is not particularly sweet, or at least nothing above the fruits' natural sugar. Hoisin sauce, marinating Peking duck, barley snaps -- say, the (natural) sweetness increases, does it not? Later, dusty logs, ready for the fire, and eaten spare ribs, meaning the bone with bits of charred marinated pork meat left on it. Mouth: perfect continuation of the nose, with hoisin sauce and prunes in syrup, but the palate sees some acidity come to the fore, and the strength is rather clear. Next to that, wooden chairs, varnished in the past month, unripe peach, rum-spiked punch, blueberry pancakes, hot off the pan and re-hydrated dried cranberries. Finish: here, the stewed fruits take a back seat and allow melting chocolate to speak, Brazil-nut paste, cashew-nut paste, and a pinch of ground green hazelnut. Cranberries make a comeback,, gooseberries, blueberries... Make that blueberry-filled chocolate bars! Oats, berried muesli with a drop of milk-chocolate coulis and a soft note of cardboard. The finish is long and comforting, pleasant, and invites one to refill one's glass. A simple pleasure.
I remember this being unremarkable. It is crazy what seventeen months in an open bottle will do to a whisky! 8/10 (
Thanks for the sample, JMcI)
Pittyvaich 14yo (54.5%, James MacArthur Fine Malt Selection imported by Pevarello, b. ca 1990): nose: leather and cured ham, biltong, faded moccasins, suede jackets, cowhide, digestive biscuits. All that slows down, allowing draff and poultry food to emerge, with ground corn. Later on, a note of gherkin appears, very distant. Chaff, dried hops, stale chewing tobacco, old newspapers. Behind all that is an old and dusty gravel courtyard. I would say a single beach, but it has no maritime influence whatsoever -- this is all farmland countryside. Mouth: equally cereal-y on the palate, it has chaff, hops, draff and ground corn. The leather and suede re-appear too, though much shyer. This time, a timid drop of red wine is present too, dry aged, dusty and earthy. Fusty bung cloth, old books (calf-leather-bound, of course), old maps. Digestive biscuits are still there, though they are soaked in some kind of liqueur, this time -- my money is on redcurrant. Finish: big, leathery, wine-y, almost corked, the finish has wet cardboard, old and oily newspapers, a drop of red-wine vinegar, redcurrant liqueur, a pinch of aniseed, blotting paper, busy swallowing all that liqueur. Seriously, it is Edle Tropfen without the chocolate! Pot ale, draff, dreg, dark-grain syrup and liqueur. A big, woody, cereal-y and feint-y dram with a wine-y touch. I like it for its intrinsic qualities, though I will admit it is probably more interesting than incredibly good. 7/10
Dufftown-Glenlivet 11yo 2007/2018 (51.6%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Sherry Hogshead): nose: it is all blackcurrant cough drops and a little camphor, minty, sappy gel and crushed pine needles. Stewed fruits appear after that, with rhubarb, rum-toft and prunes in syrup, crystallised blood oranges, perhaps baked apples. It is not particularly sweet, or at least nothing above the fruits' natural sugar. Hoisin sauce, marinating Peking duck, barley snaps -- say, the (natural) sweetness increases, does it not? Later, dusty logs, ready for the fire, and eaten spare ribs, meaning the bone with bits of charred marinated pork meat left on it. Mouth: perfect continuation of the nose, with hoisin sauce and prunes in syrup, but the palate sees some acidity come to the fore, and the strength is rather clear. Next to that, wooden chairs, varnished in the past month, unripe peach, rum-spiked punch, blueberry pancakes, hot off the pan and re-hydrated dried cranberries. Finish: here, the stewed fruits take a back seat and allow melting chocolate to speak, Brazil-nut paste, cashew-nut paste, and a pinch of ground green hazelnut. Cranberries make a comeback,, gooseberries, blueberries... Make that blueberry-filled chocolate bars! Oats, berried muesli with a drop of milk-chocolate coulis and a soft note of cardboard. The finish is long and comforting, pleasant, and invites one to refill one's glass. A simple pleasure. I remember this being unremarkable. It is crazy what seventeen months in an open bottle will do to a whisky! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, JMcI)
Pittyvaich 14yo (54.5%, James MacArthur Fine Malt Selection imported by Pevarello, b. ca 1990): nose: leather and cured ham, biltong, faded moccasins, suede jackets, cowhide, digestive biscuits. All that slows down, allowing draff and poultry food to emerge, with ground corn. Later on, a note of gherkin appears, very distant. Chaff, dried hops, stale chewing tobacco, old newspapers. Behind all that is an old and dusty gravel courtyard. I would say a single beach, but it has no maritime influence whatsoever -- this is all farmland countryside. Mouth: equally cereal-y on the palate, it has chaff, hops, draff and ground corn. The leather and suede re-appear too, though much shyer. This time, a timid drop of red wine is present too, dry aged, dusty and earthy. Fusty bung cloth, old books (calf-leather-bound, of course), old maps. Digestive biscuits are still there, though they are soaked in some kind of liqueur, this time -- my money is on redcurrant. Finish: big, leathery, wine-y, almost corked, the finish has wet cardboard, old and oily newspapers, a drop of red-wine vinegar, redcurrant liqueur, a pinch of aniseed, blotting paper, busy swallowing all that liqueur. Seriously, it is Edle Tropfen without the chocolate! Pot ale, draff, dreg, dark-grain syrup and liqueur. A big, woody, cereal-y and feint-y dram with a wine-y touch. I like it for its intrinsic qualities, though I will admit it is probably more interesting than incredibly good. 7/10
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