The Singleton of Dufftown 15 Years Old (40%, OB, 2020)

• ABV: 40%
• Age: 15 Years Old
• Bottling: OB, GTR
• Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky
• Cost: £49.96 available from Master of Malt
• Origin: Dufftown distillery
• Vintage: undeclared

What they say

Reassuringly well-balanced for a 15-year-old, this is an elegant and mature Singleton single malt with sweet fruitiness and perfect finish. Well balanced throughout. An appetizing, relatively complex and well-structured nose leads to a slightly more conservative palate. Serving Suggestion: Best served neat or in a Classic Manhattan.

Official tasting notes:

• APPEARANCE Deep amber or burnt orange.
• BODY Medium bodied and pleasantly mouth coating.
• NOSE Slightly spicy nosefeel and drying, overall. Toffee apples. Hints of honeycomb balanced by remnants of youthful zestiness – linseed oil and scented tea. Becomes fruitier: ripe autumn fruits combined with red berry sharpness. Malt and cereal notes. Some golden syrup sweetness. Reassuringly well balanced. Adding water brings up a waxier note initially, with traces of sweet chestnut and glace angelica, and then a whiff of smoke or charred wood.
• PALATE Without water, the flavour is sweet to start then drying in the finish. Warming, light and smooth; tending to delicate. Malty and oaty base notes. Fresh fruit salad, with spicy and floral top notes. With water added there’s a pleasant mouthfeel. Some sweetness, though the overall effect remains balanced and dry.
• FINISH Drying. Pears and digestive biscuits, then delicately spiced with notes of aniseed.

What I say

Another Travel Retail expression from The Singleton of Dufftown, this time carrying the age statement 15 Years Old. I’d assumed this was part of the standard range akin to The Singleton of Glen Ord offerings, however I think now this is the case just to add even more confusion into ‘The Singleton’ three distilleries range.

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Full amber gold (10/20), quick, medium tears and fine legs.
• Nose: Sweet honeyed fruits, apple, pear, peach even? caramel, syrup, malty, soft spice, butterscotch and a hint of wood smoke.
• Taste: Silky smooth on the palate, medium-light bodied, light honey and syrup, apple pie, butterscotch, fudge, light toffee or caramel sauce, blonde chocolate, malty, oaky, vanilla custard.
• Finish: Medium-long, sweet, slightly drying, gingerbread biscuits.

Overall

Much more balanced that the Trinité but I still found this one a little bland. I love the 12, despite it’s super-easy drinking it is full of subtleties and nuances of flavour that works really well. Sadly I’m just not finding that here.

Score 84/100

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