Colour: Bright Gold.
Nose: Very fruity on the nose with notes of peach, apricot, slightly tart rhubarb and vanilla ice cream. Accompanied by cereals mixed with honey and oak spice.
Palate: First sweet and fruity on the palate with peach and some banana. Becomes more spicy and warming with white pepper and oak, followed by vanilla ice cream, some malt biscuits and brown sugar.
Finish: The finish is long lasting with some rhubarb, peach, butterscotch and dry oak towards the end.
With water: After adding a few drops of water, this Miltonduff is much more lively and prickling on the nose with peppery notes, juicy peach and lots of vanilla. Again a lot of sweet fruit on the palate, vanilla, barley sugar and a slight ginger spiciness. The finish remains long, sticky sweet with peach and rhubarb, vanilla and more dry oak.
Comments: This fruity Speysider was distilled at Miltonduff in 1994 and bottled by Douglas Laing after a quarter of a century. This long aging period resulted in a delicate fruitiness and sweetness that is beautifully balanced with the oak spice of the hogshead. Although 48% abv would not necessarily require water, after adding a few drops, the sweetness and wonderful fruit aromas become even more apparent, but the dram becomes also drier towards the end. A pleasant whisky, with which one can spend a long time.

I thank Douglas Laing for the photograph!

Colour: Dark gold.
Nose: The nose starts off with ripe fruits - apricots and peaches in particular. With time, lingering notes of vanilla arrive mixed with a hint of cherries. Tender spiciness with some floral notes and a hint of chocolate in the back.
Palate: Sweet and fruity on the palate with creamy apricots and red fruits. This is accompanied by a warming mix of prickling alcohol and subtle spiciness with a whiff of oak, cinnamon and nutmeg. Lingering notes of chocolate towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is medium long, sweet and fruity. Gets slightly dry with subtle oak and a hint of bitter walnut on the tail.
With water: A decent splash of water brings more fruitiness to the fore while the creamy vanilla notes are tamed a bit. Still fruity on the palate with a slightly decreased sweetness. The warming load of alcohol, however, is tamed significantly. Prickling oak and a nice spiciness of white pepper and nutmeg linger towards the finish. The finish is medium long to short with creamy vanilla, some yellow fruity and a hint of dry oak.
Comments: This cask strength Speysider from the C&S Dram Collection shows wonderful notes of yellow, ripe fruits, accompanied by a creamy vanilla sweetness and some chocolate notes. The high alcohol content of almost 60% abv is already very well integrated and only noticeable by a pleasant warmth on the palate. Even with the addition of water, this 11-year-old Miltonduff remains sweet and fruity with a still restrained oakiness. A tasty dram, which, despite sherry butt maturation, shows rather the lighter fruity side of whisky. Very pleasing.

I thank Schlumberger Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG for the complimentary sample and the photograph!

Colour: Pale gold.
Nose: The nose starts off with a potpourri of vanilla, apricots, yellow apples and bananas. Lingering notes of toffee arrive, nicely mixed with blossom honey and a hint of oak spice in the back. The alcohol is already well integrated and not pungent at all.
Palate: Sweet and fruity on the palate with a delicate mix of mainly apples and apricots. Now the high alcohol content becomes noticeable: very warm with a white pepper note, ginger spice and a hint of dry oak. Oily and creamy with vanilla and acacia honey. Very mouth-filling!
Finish: The finish is long, warm and creamy with caramel and honey. Becomes drier on the tail with oak and wood tannins.
With water: There's less fruit on the nose when a splash of water is added. Still sweet with vanilla and caramel. Seems to be a bit fresher with a hint of citrus in the back. Still sweet and fruity on the palate, accompanied with white pepper and oak spice. Less oily and creamy with milk chocolate and a hint of blossom honey. Less warming, too. The finish is a bit shorter and fairly dry with oak, tannins and pepper.
Comments: This young Miltonduff is very strong which one would expect due to its high alcohol content. But the first-fill Bourbon barrel provides beautiful, almost tropical fruit notes, which complement nicely with the sweet vanilla and the toffee/caramel flavours to a harmonious dram. This is kept in a beautiful balance by the oak spice. Despite the 62%, abv this one tasted much better to me neat than diluted. A well-chosen, young, wild but mature looking single malt.

I thank The Barreliers for the complimentary sample and the photograph!

Colour: Mahogany.
Nose: Rich, creamy and flavourful. A pleasant, bold, but not intrusive sherry note with dark fruits, cherries, dates, figs and rum-soaked raisins, mixed with a touch of Demerara sugar. Delicious aroma of toffee and milk chocolate arrive with time, lingering with subtle herbal notes in the back. A gorgeous nose!
Palate: Lovely sweet on the palate with a delicate mix of black cherries, dates, raisins and a beautiful rum note. This is immediately followed by warming spices - cinnamon, oak and tender white pepper. Intense but soft at the same time with dark chocolate and roasted almonds towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is long, warm and sweet. Gets drier in the end with cocoa, espresso and a lingering nuttiness. Soft and warm with tender oak spice.
With water: Very creamy on the nose with a splash of water. Besides the pleasant and sweet fruitiness the chocolate and toffee flavours significantly emerge. Clearly stronger on the palate with less fruity and sweet aromas, and a distinct malty and herbal note. Bitter flavours of orange peel and dark chocolate emerge. The finish is a bit shorter, warm and slightly sweet with cinnamon, hazelnut and dry cocoa.
Comments: A very delicate dram! This is a tiny sherry bomb with delicious dark fruit and a pleasant sweetness. Not overpowered by the sherry but creamy with a sophisticated flavour profile. Delightful and very savoury. No water needed as the high alcoholic strength is hardly noticeable. Soft and smooth compared to the coeval Tullibardine from The Whisky Chamber. It's worth to have them both in the whisky cabinet!

I thank Thomas Ide from The Whisky Chamber for sample and photograph!

Colour: White wine.
Nose: The nose starts off with a delicate sweetness of candy floss along with subtle toffee. Delicate yellow fruit arrives, mirabelle in particular, complemented by a gentle floral note and a fruity acidity of grapefruit and unripe grapes. There's a whiff of cinnamon and peppery spice with lingering marzipan in the back. The alcohol is present but already well integrated and not pungent at all.
Palate: The amazing candy sweetness continues on the palate with yellow fruit and almonds coming through. This is immediately displaced by a significant amount of spice, mainly pepper and nutmeg. Very warm and lingering with a whiff of marzipan and sticky honey on the tongue. Very delicate!
Finish: The finish shows a medium length of sweet and sticky honey, along with almonds and marzipan. A touch of spice emerges with oak and a slightly acetous note on the tail.
With water: Water opens the malt with more toffee and vanilla on the nose. Very creamy without any alcoholic peaks. Again very sweet and fruity on the palate with ripe grapes and orange, followed by a delicate warming spiciness. The finish is medium long with lingering sweet fruits and spice.
Comments: This young Miltonduff is deliciously sweet and tasty. Appears to be much older than just seven years. A very nice balance of delicate fruits, sweet flavours and warming spices. No sign of youthness any more. A few drops of water will make this awesome whisky even more smile. A real bargain.

I thank Caminneci - Wine & Spirit Partner for sample and photograph!