Although The Whisky Agency (and partners) bottled a few Macduff 1973 casks last year, for some reason I didn’t manage to try them. Today I’m trying a similar expression bottled in the Dutch Mo Òr Collection.
Macduff 37 yo 1973 (46%, Mo Òr Collection 2011, bourbon hogshead #20, 281 btl.)
Nose: quite a beautiful mixture of beeswax and oranges. Fresh green figs, red plums. Leather. Dried apricots. Hints of toasted bread. A little hay. Cinnamon and cloves. Nougat. Also subtle hints of herbs like parsley and dill. Very complex and constantly coming back to the wonderful beehive / fruits combo. Quite excellent.
Mouth: rich, still juicy, even though the fruitiness is hard to pin down. Honey, waxed oak, oranges / apricots maybe. A little mint, cinnamon and pepper. In the end it gets a bourbonny oak kick, but it’s nicely controlled and a real asset here.
Finish: medium long, slightly thinner, but nicely minty, with some citrus tea.
A great old Macduff from an active bourbon cask. Similar to some Glen Grant or Caperdonich from the same era. Around € 175, expensive for a 50cl bottle.
Score: 91/100