Macduff 10 & 26 Years

Macduff 10 years old, vintage 2011, bottled at 52,3 % abv by Michiel Wigman

First things first: Bottled in the They Inspired II series in November 2021, after being distilled in March 2011. This expression matured in a sherry hogshead and yielded 194 bottles. 

Upon Sipping: Have we ever noticed that a good sherry cask these days gives off more hints of berries instead of raisins, as it used to be? This Macduff opens on forest fruit tea, cherry pie and warm grain that is heating up on a malt floor. A good deal of distillery character still alive, so the cask was not too overpowering. Taking a sip, we notice this is where this single malt start delivering with an abundance of grapes, berries again and a hint of vinegar. That last note gives it an edge that justifies bottling this Macduff at rather young age. I think we found the X-factor there. With a drop of water, darker tones come out like wood smoke and chocolate, and some aero pressed coffee. The taste just keeps on improving, making this a fruity trip. The grain that I picked up on the nose is only subtly noticeable on the finish, but it is there. It quietly turns into some light hazelnut when you have swallowed your last drop. 

Word to the Wise: This Macduff has some melancholic beauty to it. The fruitiness is on clear display while we never lose track of the core ingredient. That is a strong feature for a sherry matured whisky. 

Score: 89 points

Macduff 1976, 26 years old, bottled at 45 % abv by Samaroli

First things first: A Macduff from 1976 that was bottled from one cask #3382 in September 2002. It resulted in 258 bottles in the Coilltean series by Samaroli. (Picture is from a sister cask bottling).

Upon Sipping: Somehow you expect a whisky that has 1976 as vintage to smell fruity, and this Macduff does not disappoint. Some candy powder that you can scoop from the bottom of a wrapper with a wet finger. Some mint and limestone in the mix too. After some breathing it turns into a flowerbed. The bees are there too, releasing honeyed flavours and even some lavender. Some dustiness hangs over it all, but after all this whisky came from a bottle that was closed for over two decades. Ah, but then a sip, this is just fruity delight. Papaya, mango, the whole tropical array, but it also has a sour edge that makes me think of green apples and pears. The lavender makes itself known too, with a slight floral hit on the finish. The sour spectrum is most dominant, but summarizing I can see this is a complex and elusive mix of different sensations all in one glass. The freshness is incredible; when you put the glass to your lips, at first is almost feels as if you are taking a sip of water, before all the fruity flavours burst loose. On repeated sipping the lavender notes do turn a little bit soapy, so we did find a weak spot. Water works well, even though it is not really necessary. We picked up some wood influence from the cask. Really nice. 

Word to the Wise: A light and fruity single malt whisky from a distillery we do not often see, let alone in single cask expression. I enjoyed the ride. The final notes put me off a bit, but this is still rather classic tropical stuff.