Super interesting casking for this 8 year old Macduff – 3 years in an ex-bourbon barrel and then another 5 in a 2nd fill ex-Islay barrel. You really don’t see that every day from this distillery.
Nose: Burnt toffee and espresso beans join golden rolling tobacco (almost with a hint of being spent in an ashtray, but not quite), chocolate, and wet soils. In time there’s an interest cave-aged cheese note – something like a fusty, nutty Gruyere – or a glass of milk left out in the sun for an afternoon. Not in anyway unpleasant I’ll add. Dilution offers pear juice, ferns and winter mint alongside eucalyptus.
Taste: Earthy tobacco opens before heading into Terry’s Chocolate Orange, resinous oak and citrus oils. Dry soils and shaved chocolate lead to touches of pineapple juice whilst ginger spice provides a perky lift. Reduction here results in an explosion of fruity qualities – orange gel, tangerine peels and poached pear – tempered by some savouriness from green bell peppers and wisps of ethereal smoking pan oils.
Finish: Medium with tangy orange, char and persistent tobacco.
Highly thought-provoking Macduff where the secondary cask has arguably had a big influence, but not necessarily in the manner which is as simple as reading the bottle label. Here there’s a ton of the promised tobacco and otherworldly hints towards smokiness that don’t quite go the whole hog – and they marry very nicely with the underlying distillate. Experimental but well worth checking out.