Dufftown 15 Years Old 2008 Cask #700215 (Anam na h-Alba)

This Dufftown was bottled by Anam na h-Alba, a 15 year old, distilled in 2008, from cask 700215, bottled at 57%, one of 220 bottles. Dufftown is a Speyside single malt distilled in the town of Dufftown, the heart of Scotland's malt whisky country. Its water is drawn from Jock's Well, an artesian spring in the Conval Hills.

It was made on Conval Hills water and condensed in shell and tube condensers, the long ferment building a grassy, fruity character. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, oak lactones lending vanilla and a little coconut. Through oxidative maturity esters concentrate, apple and pear turning honeyed over the malty body. The cool Speyside air gives a slow, even maturation in the Dufftown warehouses. Built for the blender's art, the spirit ages with grace as a single malt. The slow distillation gives a smooth spirit that takes well to the cask. Active wood frames the fruit without overwhelming the smooth Speyside spirit.

At 57%, undiluted, it is deep and malty. Apple, malt and a soft honey, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A baked apple and a gentle spice lift it. Apple, nut and a soft oak see out the finish. This is a Speyside single malt of real character.