Singleton of Dufftown 12yo, Tailfire & Malt Master's Selection Reviews

Hi everyone,

I only realised the other day, when looking through the sidebar on my blog, that I haven’t reviewed a whisky from Dufftown distillery yet, which is crazy because my first bottle of single malt whisky I bought was Singleton of Dufftown 12.

Its never been a particularly impressive or well regarded distillery though and the attempts of Diageo to make something of it as a single malt seem to have fallen a little flat. They tried age statements, then they tried no age statements with cool names and now they have a new one that just sounds the same as everything else on the market. I’ve tried three from these different eras.

Singleton of Dufftown 12 40%

Colour: E150a

Body: Light

Nose: Fruity Speyside, lots of stewed apple, sweet pear, pastry, hot fruit crumble, apple pie, apple juice, some nut, some malty chocolate, cream.

Taste: Fruit and nut. Soft and mellow. Nutty, malty arrival, fruity development- Soft apple, pear, lots of vanilla, some honey, little bit of spice.

Finish: Short length. Fades gently with... well nothing really.

My 1st single malt whisky! Mental that I hadn’t reviewed this before. Quite thin and average at times, especially into the finish.

64/100

Singleton of Dufftown Tailfire 40%

Colour: E150a

Body: Light/Medium

Nose: Fresh, strawberry, sweet fudge, sweet toffee, raspberry and meringue, pavlova, clotted cream.

Taste: Soft, 'smooth,' sweet toffee, fudge, biscuit, vanilla then creamy with strawberry vodka?!, some young spirity notes into the finish.

Finish: Short/Medium length. Strawberry vodka, spirity.

A bit different with those obvious fruity strawberry notes but it ends up being artificial and thin again. Almost tastes more like a grain whisky actually.

62/100

 

Singleton of Dufftown Malt Master’s Selection 40%

Colour: E150a

Body: Light/Medium

Nose: Malty, pear, marzipan and red apple. A little praline shell chocolate, but fairly classic Speyside. Vanilla and pastry after a bit.

Taste: Soft, vanilla, creamy, red apple, some ginger, some oak, apple juice, then malt and some generic chocolate.

Finish: Short length. Lacking power then more malty with chocolate again.

Another young one I think. Shows off more of a natural style though.

66/100

Updated Distillery Rankings

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Reviews #668-#670

Whisky Network Reviews #801-#803

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Review #800: Johnnie Walker Blue Label

Hi everyone,

These hundred whisky reviews that come along every so often feel a little like ‘and now… for my next trick!’ Trying to one up ourselves with rare and/or ridiculous whiskies that will impress all.

Instead of that, for my 800th review I’ve decided to do a whisky that I should have reviewed a long time ago, the classic premium blend: Johnnie Walker Blue Label, touted as one of the most overpriced and perhaps the most disappointing whisky in the world. A dual accolade that has always made me curious. Hosting some high-end London bartenders in Swansea, I thought I might as well…

 

Johnnie Walker Blue Label 40%

Colour: E150a

Body: Medium

Nose: Quite full for a blend, malty, spice, oak, elegant fruit, a bit of chocolate, a subtle touch of old peat.

Taste: Soft, vanilla, oak, some very nice fruit, malt, milk chocolate, then some grain building and loses balance. Loses more balance as it develops in the mouth.

Finish: Medium length. Quite good here, less grain, more chocolate, malt and some old peat notes.

Better than I expected this. There’s enough going on and it doesn’t feel to thin or like there’s too much grain whisky, well perhaps in the mid-palate but the nose and finish surprised me, especially with the aged peat notes. Yes, this isn’t worth the money, you can pick up a decent malt that will be infinitely better for half the price.

73/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #667

Whisky Network Review #800

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Claxton's: Caol Ila 2012 & Dumbarton 31 Reviews

Hi everyone,

A whisky or two from Claxton’s, a fairly new independent bottler that seems to be doing quite well. I like their very squarish looking bottles, although we all know its what’s on the inside that counts…

Caol Ila 2012 Claxtons 57.2%

Colour: Straw

Body: Full

Nose: No NMS but coastal to 11! Mineral Kilchoman-like notes all over it, wet rocks and sea salt, lemon citrus, wonderful nose. Raw and powerful.

Taste: So soft, lacking a touch of power then big mineral Kilchoman-like notes again, seashore, salty.

Finish: Short length. Doesn't have a load of staying power. Lemon.

Kilchoman not from Kilchoman. Always amazed by Caol Ila's versatility and this is a great young selection.

74/100

Dumbarton 31 Claxtons ?abv?

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Great, creamy, vanilla, raspberry ripple, very soft oak.

Taste: Soft, very creamy, very nicely balanced, creamy vanilla, soft raspberry.

Finish: Long length. Some spice comes in, even more balanced, spicy white chocolate. Great.

Yet to be released. Lovely older grain. I am finding that Grain peaks that about this age, retaining the freshness but finding some complexity.

78/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #665-#666

Whisky Network Reviews #798-#799

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Glen Scotia x4: Victoriana, 15, 18 & 25

Hi everyone,

Glen Scotia is one of those interesting distilleries that tends to get underrated, perhaps because the style of spirit is quite rustic and isn’t quite as glamorous as the big dirty Springbank next door.

I did find out the other day that 7 out of 9 of the Glen Scotia employees are ex-Springbank though, so they should be taking the lessons and applying them anew. In any case, the quality seems to be going up at the moment since the revamp from those hideous cow bottles (with the colours, remember?), and I heard particularly good things about the 15, which turned out to be quite true.

Let’s take it by age:

Glen Scotia Victoriana 51.5%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Odd. Cherry, grass and chalk. A little harsh spice, creamy cereal, weird raspberry, butterscotch. Harsh rose.

Taste: Grassy, weird, orange, oily malt, mineral, chalk, some harsh ginger and oak, then goes quite weak into the finish.

Finish: Short length. Weak here. Really backs off. Some oak? Dry.

30% PX Sherry, 10% 12yo Heavily Peated malt. A bit all over the place. This is being replaced with a cask strength, batch version pretty shortly I’ve heard. Hopefully its better than this…

66/100

 

Glen Scotia 15 46%

Colour: Dark Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Pretty classic Glen Scotia. Funky and musty, Sherry-esque fruit, orange, dusty cupboards, oily malt, icing sugar. More complex as it opens up.

Taste: Soft arrival, burst of orange, amazing oily malt, great balance to it, more chocolate, heather and oils, leather.

Finish: Long length. A burst of malt, then great oils continue, leather and some coffee beans.

Lovely. Great balance here. Pretty sure this is married in Sherry casks for 6 weeks before bottling. I was lucky enough to swap for most of a bottle of this and I’ve been enjoying it at home too.

78/100

 

Glen Scotia 18 46%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Funky. Orange, strawberry and orange fruit pastilles, vanilla and pastry crust, orange travel sweets (the ones with the powdered sugar), plenty of leather and dusty cupboards too.

Taste: Malty arrival, golden raisin, milk chocolate, heather, leather and orange sweets, musty oak, not quite as balanced as the nose.

Finish: Medium length. More orange sweets, orange juice, a little cinnamon and ginger beer tingling away.

Nice but I think I prefer the 15 still. 17 years in refill and 1 year finish in Sherry.

75/100

 

Glen Scotia 25 48.8%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Quiet at first but opens up. Some ash to begin, oak of course, musty and funky with some classic Scotia cupboards, rum-esque banana, an interesting Tequila/Mezcal note, red apple and black pepper.

Taste: Soft and integrated, amazing arrival, musty oak, banana again, perfumed, lovely oily mouthfeel, spices building with slightly fizzy ginger beer.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Darker with malt and chocolate, heather. Power fades but flavours stay nicely.

24 years refill, 1 year 1st fill Bourbon. A nice one but again I find myself comparing it to the 15, which this may well equal but doesn't quite surpase.

78/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #661-#664

Whisky Network Reviews #794-#797

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Tobermory 1994 The Single Cask Review

Hi everyone,

I’ve got another nicely Sherried single cask, cask strength, independent bottling here from one of favourite distilleries, so we can’t go far wrong I don’t think.

The Single Cask seem to have grown in the last year, expanding the whiskies that they do as well as building a new bar in Scotland. Just looking at their website at the moment, they’ve got loads of different bottling, many more than I thought and the quality is well regarded.

 

Tobermory 1994 The Single Cask 56.8%

Colour: Amber

Body: Full

Nose: Cheese, very funky, over-ripe peach and orange, Parma ham, very dry oak, green tomato then more fig and PX Sherry after a bit.

Water: More golden raisin, malt, Macallan. Its straighter and less feinty now.

Taste: Intense! Sweet, raisin, very thick, PX Sherry, fig, plum, stewed fruit, orange, then heather and malt, dark chocolate and coffee beans. Oily.

Water: Less Sherry, more oak and more spicy. Less balanced.

Finish: Medium length. Oily into the finish, golden raisin, malt, Macallan-like here.

2nd fill PX Sherry finish I believe. Wonderful but best kept neat. This does show that unpeated Ledaig can work well with its feinty flavours, a well done one by The Single Cask.

82/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Review #660

Whisky Network Review #793

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Bruichladdich 2006 Whiskybroker & 14 TBWC Reviews

Hi everyone,

Sherried Bruichladdich can be a wonderful thing and more and more of them have been appearing in the hands of various independent bottlers. Some of them are crazy dark, like there was a bucket load of PX Sherry sitting in the bottom when they filled the barrel.

These are two I’ve tried recently:

Bruichladdich 2006 Whiskybroker 55.7%

Colour: Coca Cola

Body: Full

Nose: A massive Sherry monster. Dark and rich with a lot of complexity to it. Dark orange, dark chocolate, tobacco, plum, date, sticky raisin, damp wood, complex cherry, cocktail cherry, cherry jam, fruit compote, there's some subtle minerality behind reminding you we're on Islay. Bran flakes, coffee, something liqueur like, maybe ameretto? Oh and vanilla fudge.

Water: Softer. Damp tobacco, dark Oloroso sherry, raisin, some Christmas cake, some marzipan, walnut. Less complex though.

Taste: Intense arrival, big whisky, lots of sharpness up front, sour, sour cherry, splintered dry wood (making me think it's an old one actually), lots of oak, really dry, puckering tannins, spices, no sweetness at all! Then more sour orange, malt, date and plum, fig, some chocolate and malt. Not too complex but the oak and sourness really dominate here. Tastes much older than 11. After some oxygen there's a little meaty note like some kind of honey glazed ham, quite delicious.

Water: Much softer arrival, none of that sour or sharpness, damp tobacco, dark chocolate, coffee beans, dark roasted malt eaten out the bag at a brewery, dark caramel, hard tannins, dry oak, quite spicy still too and virgin oak-like spices with ginger and nutmeg.

Finish: Long length. Darker, more tobacco, dark caramel, dark chocolate, americano coffee and some nutmeg and cinnamon spice. Great finish.

11yo, bottled 2017. Very oaky for the age, and some older Bourbon-like notes here too.

80/100

 

Bruichladdich 14 TBWC 50.5%

Colour: Amber

Body: Full

Nose: Darker than the colour lets on. Dark orange, dark chocolate, coffee, fig, some PX Sherry, plum and raisin, a little ash. More complex over time.

Taste: Sweet, PX Sherry, stewed raisin, black date and fig, dark orange, then dark chocolate, malt and black coffee, black cherry.

Finish: Long length. Very rich, very sweet, black cherry sauce, oak, spice. Drier.

Wonderful sweetness to this! If you've got a sweet tooth, this one is for you!

81/100

Distillery: Bruichladdich

Average Score: 79.3

Distillery Ranking: 12th/ 62 places

Up/Down: No movement

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Reviews #658-#659

Whisky Network Reviews #791-#792

Network Average: 75.0

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Compass Box Delilah XXV Review

Hi everyone,

Allow me to be lazy on this one because it’s a CB release and that means percentage proportions of what’s in it:

29% Original Delilah recipe: Of which 48% older Cameronbridge, 40% older Teaninich & 12% Glen Elgin aged for an additional five years after the first Delilah release

10.5% More Cameronbridge from 1st fill Bourbon

10.5% Miltonduff from 1st fill Bourbon

20% Teaninich from 1st fill Sherry

15% Mystery Malt from town of Aberlour (Glenfarclas perhaps?) from 1st fill Sherry

15% Linkwood from 1st fill Sherry

This was released to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Delilah punk rock whisky bar and I tasted it at the Stoke whisky festival earlier this year.

 

Compass Box Delilah XXV 46%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Malt hits first, wild strawberry, biscuit, very creamy, orange citrus, creamy vanilla, the grain comes out more with time.

Taste: Strawberry hit, very creamy, malt, biscuit, some heather and chocolate, some spice and oak, gingerbread, vanilla, a little grain whisky into the finish.

Finish: Medium length. More of the same. Orange, chocolate, heather and lots of malt.

A nice one from CB, middle of the road really. No peat, no Clynelish, just a pleasing whisky for all. I’ve said it before but I’m a big sucker for strawberry in whisky and this is no different. Good stuff.

75/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #657

Whisky Network Review #790

Network Average: 75.0

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?