Dufftown 16 Years Old 2009 Cask #700825 (A.D. Rattray)

A Dufftown of a 16 year old chosen by the bottler A.D. Rattray, distilled in 2009, from cask 700825, bottled at 49.5%, one of 263 bottles. Dufftown is a Speyside malt built for the blender's art and now bottled as a single malt in its own right. It became the heart of the Bell's blend after Arthur Bell and Sons bought it in 1933.

Distilled for the nutty, malty character Dufftown is known for, building the smooth Dufftown style. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, oak lactones lending vanilla and a little coconut. At oxidative maturity aldehydes lend a nutty edge while ellagitannins add a gentle, drying grip. The slow distillation gives a smooth spirit that takes well to the cask. The malty, nutty spirit takes cask flavour well while keeping its Speyside fruit. It was founded in 1895 within a former meal mill by Peter Mackenzie and his partners.

At 49.5%, undiluted, it is deep and malty. Baked apple, nut and a creamy malt, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The mouthfeel is smooth, the fruit carried on a malty body. A long, malty finish carries an orchard fruit and a soft nut. This is a smooth, malty Speyside malt from the Conval Hills.