Scotch Whisky Review #403: Rare Malts Selection Millburn 25 Year (1975)

Distillery: Millburn.

Region: Speyside.

Age: 25 Year. Distilled in 1975 and bottled in October of 2001.

ABV: 61.9%. Cask Strength.

Price: $75 for a 1 oz pour at Jack Rose in Washington D.C. Enjoyed in the company of /u/_asippe.

Color: 0.8, Deep Gold. Non-Chill Filtered.

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Nose: “Oh my” were the first thoughts that came to mind. There are fruits galore, mostly in the form of jams. Blueberry and blackberry jams are the most prominent here. There’s a note that reminds me a ton of mint chutney along with some aromatics in lemongrass, eucalyptus, and menthol.

Palate: Unlike the Dallas Dhu I had just before this that was of the exact same strength and similar age, this Millburn needed no watering. Just like the nose suggests, it’s quite jammy. Loads of berry jam notes come through. Blueberry, blackbery, strawberry, and raspberry were all ones I picked out. With a drop of water, a shortbread note came through as well giving the overall impression of enjoying a variety selection of jam-topped shortbread cookies.

Finish: Long. Raspberry jam shortbread cookies is the main note that sticks out. There’s a hint of something that is either a little bit of peatiness or just heavy gassy notes you get from a worm tub whisky to wrap things up.

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Conclusion: If you’ve spent any time talking with /u/paulusgaming, you’ll probably know he has a penchant for the “Burns”, that is closed distilleries ending in “burn” namely Coleburn or Millburn. He’s raved about this particular bottling of Millburn, giving a perfect 10 out of 10 so I had to try it. I gotta say, if this is representative at all of what Millburn can be like, I can understand the burning desire to chase it. It was a complex mix and delicious mix of fruitiness from the various jams, a bit of butteriness from the shortbread, and some aromatics from the mint chutney and other greenery. The end result was something quite delicious and something I found myself wanting more of. Fantastic dram and I’m so glad to have had it!

Final Score: 94.

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Scotch Whisky Review #403, Highland Review #78, Whisky Network Review #557

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Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.