Scotland, Speyside: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes
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Miltonduff

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Miltonduff
Miltonduff Distillery
Miltonduff, Elgin
Morayshire IV30 3TQ
+44 1343 547 433
Owner: Pernod-Ricard
Creation date 1824

The distillery is situated on the site of the old Pluscarden abbey who owned a brewery and probably a distillery too as soon as in the 13th century. The recent history of the distillery is not very good known, but is seems that Miltonduff has been founded in 1824 by Bain and Peary, and sold to William Stuart, in those days co-owner of the Highland Park distillery.
The end of the 19th century is characterized by a boom followed by a severe recession in the world of whisky, and Miltonduff did not escape to the movement. Important alteration works have been conducted and a new mash-house and still house have been build in 1896.
The consequences of the recession are not well known, and it is difficult to be sure if the distillery had to close down. Anyway it has been purchased in 1936 by Hiram Walker and is currently part of the Allied Distillers Ltd group. The distillery has been acquired together with Glenburgie.
The new owner made some alteration works, and installed two Lomond Stills in 1964 in addition to the existing stills. This Lomond stills have been used up to 1981 and produces the Mosstowie whisky.
A little part of the production is marketed as single malt by the Elgin's independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail. 50% is sold to blenders, and the remaining part is used in the blends of the group: Ballantine's, Teachers and Old Smuggler.

 Miltonduff: independent bottlings
 

Miltonduff

Mosstowie Vintage 1976 (Signatory)
Collection
 Vintage
Age
 22 years
Alcohol percentage
 58,3 %
Bottler
 Signatory
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
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links & average quote
 82/100
 
 
The nose is strongly marked by citrus fruits. A slightly acid touch, on a barley background. Despite the strong degree of alcohol, the whole is relatively sweet and rather pleasant.. It misses some roundness, which is typical for the whiskies of the area, but this bottle remains a very good bottle. It seems to be very difficult to find outside UK. The finish is relatively long and pleasant.  
79/100
The second tasting just confirmed the first one. The slightly acid hints and the perfectly balanced and rather complex nose and palate are still present. However the pleasure is great, and this explains a better quotation than the first time.
84/100
A rather fresh nose, discretely marked by citrus fruits and cut grass. In the palate, a very nice complexity, going from citrus to slightly earthy hints through fruity hints (sloe) and chocolate hints, the whole on a pleasant woody background. A very interesting finish, lingering, where woody hints are mixed with the memory of malt on citrus background.
84/100
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Miltonduff

Cask Collection, 26 years
Collection
 Cask Collection
Age
 26 years
Alcohol percentage
 48,0 %
Bottler
 Dewar Rattray
Cask
 Bourbon
Cask number
single cask 12502
Dates
 Distil: 16-09-1980 Bottling: 20-10-2006
Bottle
 132 btls
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links & average quote
 87/100
Miltonduff Dewar Rattray 28
The nose presents nice hints of exotic fruits and a touch of underlying smoke. The nose seems to develop constantly and presents alternately slight acid notes (mango) and hints of cocoa. The smoke also tends to come and go. Very amazing nose, slightly tingling, but this does not hinder the pleasure. In the palate, this whisky is quite complex too, with a marked presence of exotic fruits, some refreshing acidity, coffee. The finish is lingering, and a kind of acidity remains in the palate, while a pleasant heat and cocoa feeling seems to invade the whole body.
84/100
What an amazing nose with malt notes where smooth fruit hints (sweet melon) seem to integrate methodically, surrounded by a light wax smell.
The palate develops first on quite a bitter register before the actual explosion of quite contrasted but complementary  tastes. The mouth is even more spectacular than the nose was. Very complex, with clear woody hints which seem to come and go, just like waves and smoother notes of malted barley fill the holes. Fruity and acid tastes complete the whole cycle.
The finish is lingering and warm, with a slight prominence of acid fruits hints, but the light woody whiffs are present too. The finish is particularly warm even if not hindered at all by the alcohol, even if this presence is obvious,
Superb whisky.
88/100
Colour: Old gold
Very nice nose with nice slightly woody notes, ripe fruit and spices, then pepper, notes of coffee. In short a remarkable complexity and a lot of fun announced for the rest of the tasting.
The first palate is very nice also. Ripe fruit and malt especially, nuts and other pleasant tastes. The mouth is slightly behind the nose, but still excellent.
The finish is long and warm and happy memories of the mouth continues.
88/100
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Miltonduff

Scott's Selection 1987
Collection
 Natural Cask Strength
Age
 18 years
Alcohol percentage
 58,6 %
Bottler
 Scott's Selection
Dates
 Distil: 1987 Bottling: 2005
Bottle
 0 of 0 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
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links & average quote
 84/100
Miltonduff 1987 Scott's selection
The nose is clearly marked by ripe fruit (melon, pear). Very discrete nutty notes appear on the background. The palate is a nice mix of smooth, bitter and slightly acid notes. Really complex, the mouth is much more exciting than the nose was. Ripe fruit, hazelnuts, plums, etc all jumbled up together. The finish is remarkably long and warm. It offers quite contrasts compared to the mouth.
84/100
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Miltonduff

Daily Dram: Miltonduff Mille tonnes d'oeufs, 8 years
Collection
 Daily Dram
Age
 8 years
Alcohol percentage
 46 %
Bottler
 Bresser&Timmer / The Nectar
=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 84/100
Miltonduff Mille tonnes d'oeufs
Nice fruity and fresh nose. Some green apple impression.
In the palate, fruity notes seem to be completed by light yeast hints which are quite pleasant, giving some more complexity to this excellent whisky.
The finish is lingering, prolonging perfectly the mouth even with the addition of some malty notes.
84/100
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Miltonduff

1979
Collection
 Cask strength Collection
Age
 31 years
Alcohol percentage
 46,6 %
Bottler
 Signatory
Cask number
single cask 12908
Dates
 Distil: 18-05-1979 Bottling: 24-11-2010
Bottle
 63 of 188 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
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links & average quote
 0/100
Mosstowie 31 SV
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Miltonduff

Old Malt Cask, 21 years
Collection
 Old malt cask
Age
 21 years
Alcohol percentage
 50 %
Bottler
 Douglas Laing
Cask
 Refill Hogshead
Cask number
single cask DL7921
Dates
 Distil: 05-1990 Bottling: 11-2011
Bottle
 183 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered
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links & average quote
 0/100
Miltonduff 21 OMC
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Miltonduff samples

Miltonduff

Gifted stills 1999
Collection
 Gifted Stills
Age
 No age statement
Alcohol percentage
 43,0 %
Bottler
 Jean Boyer
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links & average quote
 84/100
Quite a fresh fruity nose, between apple and plum, but marked by some yeast hints.
The mouth is clearly fruity and specially pleasant. A real delicacy.
Quite a long finish still on this nice fruity palette.
84/100
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Miltonduff

Golden Cask 1984
Collection
 Golden Cask
Age
 10 years
Alcohol percentage
 56 %
Bottler
 John McDougall
Cask number
single cask 10607
Dates
 Distil: 06-1994 Bottling: 04-2005
Bottle
 272 of 278 btls
links & average quote
 BT2007 0/100
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Miltonduff

Bourbon Hoghshead 1980
Age
 30 years
Alcohol percentage
 44,7 %
Bottler
 Malts of Scotland
Cask
 Bourbon Hogshead
Cask number
single cask 12429
Dates
 Distil: 09-1980 Bottling: 01-2011
Bottle
 192 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
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links & average quote
 90/100
Miltonduff MOS 1980

Color: Gold
A fruity nose, very expressive. Ripe fruit, the peach, pear, but also intense floral notes. Pleasant and complex, here is an extremely promising nose.
First discreet on the palate, the taste is evolving rapidly toward some very nice notes of vanilla, fruit with a slight bitterness that makes it an even more pleasant by increasing complexity.
The complex, although quite mild acids appear discrete notes, is remarkably balanced.
The finish is long, and floral notes take over.

Another success. Very good whisky.
90/100
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Miltonduff

Single Cask Collection
Age
 21 years
Alcohol percentage
 50 %
Bottler
 Kintra
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links & average quote
 85/100

Color: Gold
The nose is particularly quiet in the beginning and then slowly evolves into softly malted but not aggressive either unadorned notes. A distant hint of violet appears after a few minutes of aeration.
On the palate the first impression is of a malted whisky, but soon surprising and pleasant bitter notes appear . An impression of gentian which tends to disappear after a few moments to give way to the sweetness of vanilla and malt. A unusual mouth, surprising and enjoyable.
The finish is a continuation of the mouth. A hint of hazelnut are also up to the more balanced malty sweetness that characterizes this whisky from the beginning
Another very pleasant surprise.
85/100
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Speyside

Speyside Map

The Speyside area is situated at the North of the Cairngorm mountain and goes to the Moray firth. It is delimited by two rivers: the Findhorn at the West side and the Deveron on the East side.
The area is named after the river Spey. Most of the distilleries take their water in one of its affluents; the Fiddich, the Livet or the Avon.
About sixty distilleries from Speyside are described on this site.

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