WhiskyNotes follower Wim recently told me he had been impressed by this recent young Miltonduff 2005, so we decided to set up a sample exchange.
You can find a series of similar releases from Duncan Taylor, all bottled from small recoopered Octave casks. All these casks contain only 80-90 bottles, which means they’re sold out very quickly.
Miltonduff 9 yo 2005
(54,2%, Duncan Taylor ‘The Octave’ for The Nectar 2014, reconstructed ex-sherry octave cask #837112, 81 btl.)
Miltonduff 9 yo 2005Nose: a sherried nose with lots of baked apples and apricot pastry with cinnamon. Some overripe melons and oranges. A warm fruitiness, albeit with a faint musty side. Some hay. Also plenty of spices from the oak, mainly ginger. Almonds too.
Mouth: immediate woody notes, a peppery kick and cinnamon. Then the fruitiness returns, with dried apricots and plums. After a while there’s a funny sour / salty combination.
Finish: medium long, spicy and oaky, with hints of dried coconut.
These Octave casks can be really interesting: this one couples a youngish, fruity spirit to big wood spices and a kind of sherry influence that you normally associate with older expressions. It’s as if you’ve poured together two totally different things that don’t blend entirely. Pretty good but rather experimental. Thanks, Wim.
Score: 85/100