Dufftown 13 Years Old 2008 Cask #65B (The Single Cask Ltd.)

This Dufftown was bottled by The Single Cask Ltd, a 13 year old, distilled in 2008, from cask 65B, bottled at 58.3%, one of 134 bottles. Dufftown, owned by Diageo, is a workhorse Speyside distillery and the home of the Singleton of Dufftown. Eight warehouses on site hold close to 100,000 casks of maturing malt.

The spirit was distilled from unpeated Speyside malt in the distillery's six stills, building the smooth Dufftown style. It was matured in an Oloroso cask, the wood working slowly into the malt. In integration lactones (coconut) and vanillin (vanilla) knit with the spirit, the green apple deepening to honey. A gentle maturation suits the smooth make, the nutty malt growing richer with time. The Singleton style leans on a mix of ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry oak. It became the heart of the Bell's blend after Arthur Bell and Sons bought it in 1933.

At a natural 58.3% it is full and nutty. Baked apple, nut and a creamy malt, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. It is nutty and malty, the smooth spirit shining through. The finish is smooth, nutty and gently spiced. This is the Singleton of Dufftown in single malt form.