Miltonduff 13 Old Masters Cask Strength Collection

Thanks to the Museum Tavern for a great lunch and having a great scotch selection.

We’re out for my mom’s Xmas gift, a visit to the ROM to see the Christian Dior exhibit. As a male who has no issue with his feminine side, I of course needed to balance out the day of critiquing women’s clothes by having a manly dram.

Or I was going to order whisky anyway, the tavern we ended up with has a great list, and I’m doing it all for comedic effect, and then being extremely blunt to continue that due to the overuse of sarcasm in this day and age that can be viewed as straight talk.

Where was I? I’m an aged fool or something?

I haven’t had any Miltonduff before. The distillery is not mothballed or locked away. They are owned by Pernod Ricard, so there’s a chance you see them on the market, though less if they were independent. Also Miltonduff released two different single malts: Miltonduff (surprise!) and Mosstowie. Mosstowie lasted two decades as a Lomond whisky, and then we had Miltonduff again.

Which is used in blends, mostly. A key ingredient in Ballantine’s, specifically. Also the Catholic church owned part of it for a brief time, but they sold it cause no one want to drink something associated with the Catholic church.

Thus when my wife found Miltonduff 13 Old Masters Cask Strength Collection, she loudly exclaimed I’d never had a Miltonduff, as my fellow whisky reviewers weren’t there to point out my mistakes.

Also this is the first James MacArthur offering I’ve had as well, so that’s new.

Let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Price: N/A at the LCBO

Region: Speyside

Distilled: 1996

Bottled: 2009

Cask No. 5563

Matured in Bourbon Wood

Abv: 57.2%

Colour: 5Y 9/6

Nose: Pineapple, lemon chiffon cake, grassy, mango

No, I don’t have chiffon on the mind as I just looked at clothing. I’m able to separate things I’m interested in, thanks.

Lots of fruit going on here. Some cake like notes, but it’s mostly tropical fruit. Which given that it’s currently -13, I welcome with open arms.

Taste: Pineapple crumble, mushroom, caramel, brine, chocolate

More to it now. Some time brings out more oat/cake notes, some earth (rich earth), and some chocolate notes. Water brings out brine to enhance all of that.

I’ve written about it before, however mushroom can stick out in a sweet dram like this. It’s richer here, however can throw you off a little bit. Quite nice to sip on.

Finish: Heather, cream, quince, pomegranate, oak

Long finish. Very long. It finishes with a floral fruit mixture that’s both creamy, vanilla/oak heavy, and very soothing.

It’s like the fruit of the loom spokesfruit are cuddling you to sleep. Which if that’s not heaven, then I don’t know what is.

Conclusion: An interesting dram. It certainly hits above it’s age, and I give kudos to the IB for releasing this at cask strength. It needs that extra strength to really show off the complexity. At a lower strength it would be a hum drum fruity dram.

Instead you end up with a rich, fruit and cake filled dram. Lovely balance on this one. Guess I’ll have to find more of these Miltonduff.

84/100

Scotch review #788, Speyside review #222, Whisky Network review #1291