Just a few days after the Miltonduff 1980 by Malts of Scotland, a sample of a sister cask arrived. Interesting! This one was bottled by A.D. Rattray as part of their March 2011 releases.
Miltonduff 30 yo 1980 (44,5%, A.D. Rattray 2011, bourbon hogshead #12427, 240 btl.)
Nose: candied, slightly tropical, with fresh fruits, vanilla and sawdust. Some fragrant dandelion notes. A little mint and honeysuckle. Apple notes grow stronger when you let it breathe. Great freshness, maybe a little more hints of dusty warehouses than the sister cask, but those work very well here.
Mouth: rounded and fruity with a nice buttery mouth-feel. Some vanilla and honey, citrus, light grassy notes, maybe a tad more oak and spices than #12429. Almonds and cinnamon.
Finish: quite long, warmer and spicier with a nice woodiness and cocoa in the end.
As expected, very few differences with the Malts of Scotland cask except for a little more wood. On the other hand, this will only set you back around € 95, that’s € 35 cheaper. Makes it easy to choose, right?
Score: 88/100
ps/ Starting tomorrow, we’ll have a few other side-by-side comparisons. Longmorn 1976, Ardmore 1992, Laphroaig 1998… similar casks from different bottlers.