Dufftown 18 Years Old 1995 Cask #HL 10378 (Old Malt Cask)

This Dufftown was bottled by the Glasgow bottler Hunter Laing, an 18 year old, distilled in 1995, from cask HL 10378, bottled at 50%, one of 589 bottles. Dufftown is a Speyside single malt, sold as The Singleton of Dufftown since 2006. For years it made a rich, nutty, spicy spirit in the Bell's style.

Distilled from unpeated Speyside malt in the distillery's six stills, for a soft, nutty, fruit driven make. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, the oak quiet behind the smooth spirit. Into oxidative maturity, slow air ingress builds fruity ethyl esters (apple and pear) and a nutty depth. Long ageing turns the fresh apple towards honey, dried fruit and a soft spice. The clean, grassy spirit shows the cask clearly, vanilla and honey to the fore. The malty, nutty spirit takes cask flavour well while keeping its Speyside fruit. Maturation in the eight Dufftown warehouses is slow and steady.

Bottled at a cask strength 50%, it is rich. Honey, nut and a touch of spice, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Pear, honey and a creamy malt fill the middle. The close is smooth, fruit over a gentle, spicy oak. This is Dufftown, a heart malt of the Bell's blend.