Dufftown 34 Years Old 1987 Cask #14741 (Finn Thomson)

A Dufftown of a 34 year old chosen by the bottler Finn Thomson, distilled in 1987, from cask 14741, bottled at 54.7%, one of 242 bottles. Dufftown is a nutty, malty Speyside single malt from the malt whisky capital of the world. The town of Dufftown holds the highest concentration of distilleries in Scotland.

Run through the stills on water from Jock's Well in the Conval Hills, for a clean, malty Speyside spirit. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, the gentle American oak letting the nutty spirit lead. Ethereal and fragile, decades draw the malt to a honeyed, nutty delicacy of sotolon and old oak. Active wood frames the fruit without overwhelming the smooth Speyside spirit. Maturation in the eight Dufftown warehouses is slow and steady. For years it made a rich, nutty, spicy spirit in the Bell's style. It is one of Diageo's largest malt distilleries, making around 5.8 million litres a year.

At a natural 54.7% it is full and nutty. Apple, malt and a soft honey, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Beneath it run apple, malt and a soft honey. A long, malty finish carries an orchard fruit and a soft nut. This is the workhorse malt of Dufftown.