We love the independent bottlers. Here
at the Whiskyguild, nothing tingles our
toes more than one-off variants of
well-loved classics (except for
toe-tingling stuff that doesn’t belong
on this type of site). Independents can
do things that the “big boys” just
can’t. This can be good, or not so good.
But it’s always interesting: different
age statements, finishes, lack of
caramel coloring, cask strength
bottlings; anything to make the whisky
different (and hopefully better). Of
course, it doesn’t always work-out that
way, but if you do decide to start
experimenting with independent bottlings,
start with a reputable, high quality
independent bottler. Duncan Taylor is
just that. Around for decades, Duncan
Taylor has a dizzying array of different
whiskies at their disposal; maybe too
dizzying.
This was a mix and match month for us
and we’re just thankful to Duncan Taylor
for giving us another round of great
samples to try. Here they are:
Glenugie Rarest of the Rare
Duncan Taylor 1981 51.5% Cask # 5158
This is a tasty and flavorful dram
from Duncan Taylor’s high end Rarest
of the Rare (ROR) series. As with
all of the ROR, this is a now closed
distillery and has become
increasingly difficult to find. A
nice rich and complex nose greeted
us, and we new instantly that we
were in for a good night of tasting.
Malt, sherry and vanilla are the
most pronounced in the nose and give
way to a thick body and warming long
finish that starts out sharp and
smoothes out nicely. The dram did
come off a little unbalanced with
the nose not following through to
the finish, but that was my only
complaint.
Nose: Malty, sherry, vanilla, honey,
musk, earthy
Body: Thick
Finish Warming and long, some bite,
malt, smoothes out.
A flavorful and easy drinking dram.
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Old Pulteney Duncan Taylor 1977
(drawn 2/9/07) 55.9% cask # 3076
Wow, this is one great dram! The
best of the night and the best
Pulteney I’ve had. Amazingly complex
but very subtle. We had to work for
the nose, but once it gave up its
secrets we loved it. Hints of smoke,
oak and butterscotch on the nose and
a light to medium body without any
traces of oil. The lack of oil isn’t
a good or bad thing but it did work
well with this dram. The finish was
long and had a nice bite. Smooth but
not too smooth.
Nose: Light smoke, oak, malt,
butterscotch, subtle salt, burnt
sherry
Body: Light to medium, no oil, clean
Finish: Long and malty, tannins and
sherry, sharp
A great dram!
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Bowmore Duncan Taylor 1982 54.&%
cask # 85027
A very different Bowmore (until the
next one we tried) that came off
sweeter and lighter than the
distillery bottled drams we’re used
too. I enjoyed the nose that had
hints of smoke, must and coconut.
The body was light while the finish
had a sweet smoky flavor. We also
picked up grape soda of all things.
I love Bowmore but this one may be a
little to adventurous for me.
Nose: Light smoke, must, coconut,
light peat, cooked vegetables
Body: Light
Finish: Fresh, sweet smoke, dry,
grade soda, unique
Different.
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Bowmore Duncan Taylor 1968 38 yr
old 41.5% cask# 3823
This ancient Bowmore reminded us
more of an after dinner cordial then
a single malt. The dram was
dominated but nectarines and peaches
and retained very little of its
Islay characteristics. A unique dram
that would be a nice accompaniment
to desert.
Nose: Nectarines, overripe peaches,
light smoke, peach schnapps
Body: Light
Finish: Very short, peaches and
nectarines, peach schnapps
Best enjoyed with desert.
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Macduff Duncan Taylor 1969 54.4%
cask# 3682
With a name like Macduff, I’m sure
this would be Homer’s Simpson’s
choice if he drank Scotch. A good
straightforward whisky that had a
pleasant menthol character. I’ve
never met a Macduff that I really
loved but this one gave it a college
try. A light nose dominated by
sherry and oak. A medium flavorful
body but a harsh and slightly bitter
finish left me at the alter. Dohhhh!
Nose: Light & subtle, sherry, oak,
fresh fruit, menthol
Body: Medium
Finish: Short but lingers, menthol,
vanilla, slightly harsh and bitter,
peppermint candy, a burst of heat at
the end
Comes close but the finish spoils a
good time.
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Strathclyde Duncan Taylor 1973
56.5% cask# 74062
A fresh and clean beauty, that makes
you wish that grain whiskies were
more widely available. I loved this
one from beginning to end. Very well
balanced with the nose setting up
the body and the body in turn
setting up the finish perfectly. A
refreshing dram that’s not overly
complex but is still packed with
unique and subtle flavors.
Nose: Clean, salt and pepper,
buttery, meadow fresh, a little
young, caramel
Body: Chewy
Finish: Sweetness explodes in the
mouth, cane sugar, medium length
with a nice burn at the end, vanilla
A home run and highly recommended.
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Auld Blended 35 year old
Very different from the Auld Blended
38 year old that Duncan Taylor
recently released. The 38 year old
was a special dram that was filled
with rich tropical fruit. This dram
is much different and tastes more
like a true blend. Still good but
not a great one.
Nose: Fresh, malt, oak, fresh fruit,
a hint of smoke
Body: Chewy
Finish: Short and a little hot, malt
and oak
A typical premium blend.
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www.singlemaltsdirect.com
carries
a great selection of Duncan Taylor
whiskies. |
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Upcoming reviews will include whiskies
from Glenmorangie
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Questions or comments are welcome, I can be reached at
brett@whiskyguild.com |
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Jan 07
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Feb 07
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Mar 07
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Apr 07
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May 07
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June 07
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July 07 |
