Review: Single Cask Nation Miltonduff 9 Yr
Single Cask Nation Miltonduff 9 Yr
Single Malt Scotch - Speyside Region, Scotland
Single Cask, 58.5% ABV
Every once in a while something can grab your attention so strongly that it literally can stop you in your tracks. There’s plenty out there to choose from. It may be a person, a landscape, a song, meal or some cases, my cases, even a whisky. Single Cask Nation, an independent bottling company strongly staking their claim in the whisky world, did just that for me with their 9 year old release of a Miltonduff single malt. One of the lesser widely known malt makers to some, most of the distillery’s production goes to blends, and while I have absolutely no problem with a great blended whisky, I still consider this a shame seeing as how wonderful SCN captured this single cask gem which was aged in refill ex-bourbon barrels and bottled up at a cask strength of 58.5% ABV.
Even though I would normally just list my own tasting notes for these reviews, I wanted to also include SCN’s since they describe this whisky the so very well.
To begin the nose holds fresh gingerbread straight from the oven with nutmeg, lemon juice, maple syrup, cinnamon bark and apple cake. The palate has an oily entry with a burst of cinnamon (also sweet curry powder, cumin, garam masala) that gives way to fresh oak, malty sweetness, and garibaldi biscuits. Lemon fizz candies, fennel seeds, and lingering hints of clove and cinnamon make for a great finish.
For me the nose holds an incredible character that I can only describe as funky farm (probably brought on by the combination of the maltiness, lemon and spice SCN describes above). On my first nose I was immediately brought back to my friend’s farm in Tennessee, just outside of Nashville thinking about the smell of the field, overturned earth and fresh cut hay. It is pretty remarkable how smell and aromatics can trigger a memory like that, and so vividly. This is certainly a very surprising whisky with a tremendous burst of flavor and layers, that is a true spice bomb through and through, and also an incredible value. Do yourself a favor and get one of these single cask bottles before I buy all of the rest in my area for myself.
For more information on Single Cask Nations bottlings, their availability, members only releases, events and other info, visit them HERE