Dufftown 30 Years Old 1978 The Maltman (Meadowside Blending)

This Dufftown was bottled by Meadowside Blending, a 30 year old, distilled in 1978, bottled at 46%. Dufftown is a Speyside single malt distilled in the town of Dufftown, the heart of Scotland's malt whisky country. It became the heart of the Bell's blend after Arthur Bell and Sons bought it in 1933.

Distilled from unpeated Speyside malt in the distillery's six stills, the long ferment building a grassy, fruity character. A bourbon barrel held it, the wood adding a light vanilla and a soft honey. In its ethereal years the malt is waxy and oxidative, faded esters and a touch of sotolon (maple, dried fig). A gentle maturation suits the smooth make, the nutty malt growing richer with time. Its water is drawn from Jock's Well, an artesian spring in the Conval Hills. In recent years the ferment was lengthened and the wort run clear for a grassier make. It was founded in 1895 within a former meal mill by Peter Mackenzie and his partners.

Bottled at 46%, it is rounded. Honey, nut and a touch of spice, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The texture is smooth and creamy, the fruit lifted by vanilla. The finish is smooth, nutty and gently spiced. This is the workhorse malt of Dufftown.