Scotch Whisky Review #414: Miltonduff 12 Year (1980s Bottling)
Distillery: Miltonduff.
Region: Speyside.
Age: 12 Year. Bottled in the 1980s.
ABV: 46%
Price: Sample courtesy of /u/_asipper.
Color: 0.8, Deep Gold.
This sample was reviewed blind. The label was marked “Fairness” but no hints were given beyond that it was a malt whisky.
Nose: Bright and sharp from the get go. Orchard fruits, specifically underripe apples and some nectarines/peaches, are what stand out to me here.
Palate: It feels a touch hot at full strength. Thankfully water cools it down nicely. The bright fruitiness from the nose is still here. It is an orchard fruit basket with apples and peaches. Towards the back half are notes of chocolate and cream (maybe even white chocolate?) which give this more dessert-y spin. As I give it more time, some notes of cherry kirsch come out.
Finish: It is pretty short. It’s really clean and is a touch floral. Overall the finish reminds me most of a floral tea.
Guess: This feel super familiar but I can’t place it. I’m going to guess Speysider, probably young teens (13-15 years of age), ex-bourbon cask, mid-50s for ABV. If I have to guess distillery, I’m gonna go with Linkwood.
Reveal: Miltonduff 12 Year (1980s Bottling).
Conclusion: At this point, I think it is starting to become apparent that I enjoy Miltonduff. I’ve certainly never had this dram before but it felt so familiar anyway. The bright, sharp, and fruity nose was such a wonderful wakeup call. The mix of orchard fruits, chocolate, cream, and a bit of kirsch made for a really tasty experience on the palate. The finish, while short, made me want to jump into the next sip almost instantly. I probably drank this a lot faster than I needed to but darn was it right up my alley.
Final Score: 83.
Note: I’ve made some changes to the scoring legend, the descriptions have been updated slightly to match my actual scoring a little better.
Scotch Whisky Review #414, Speyside Review #154, Whisky Network Review #568
Scoring Legend:
- 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
- 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky and I will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection if feasible.
- 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product and I’m likely wanting a bottle or two.
- 80-84: Quite good, pleasant overall though there is usually a few things that could be improved still.
- 75-79: Good, enjoyable to drink but ultimately flawed.
- 70-74: Alright, solid and 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.
Scotch & Sheen 
