Dufftown 13 Years Old 2012 Distilleries of Great Britain & Ireland Commemorative (James Eadie)

This Dufftown was bottled by the revived blender James Eadie, a 13 year old, distilled in 2012, bottled at 52.3%, one of 530 bottles. Dufftown, owned by Diageo, is a workhorse Speyside distillery and the home of the Singleton of Dufftown. Its spirit stills are larger than its wash stills, unusual among Scottish distilleries.

Made on Conval Hills water and condensed in shell and tube condensers, for the nutty, spicy make Dufftown is known for. A refill bourbon hogshead held it, keeping the nutty, malty character to the fore. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin settling into a rounded vanilla as ethyl esters lend a riper apple and pear. Maturation in the eight Dufftown warehouses is slow and steady. Active wood frames the fruit without overwhelming the smooth Speyside spirit. Eight warehouses on site hold close to 100,000 casks of maturing malt.

At a natural 52.3% it is full and nutty. A smooth, fruity sweetness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The mouthfeel is smooth, the fruit carried on a malty body. The finish runs gentle, nutty and warming. This is a Speyside single malt of real character.