2009 Douglas Laing & Co. Provenance Miltonduff 7 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

A very young and very affordable introduction to Miltonduff is on offer from Douglas Laing as part of their 'Provenance' collection. The added appeal here is that the whisky is single cask and non-chill filtered. Distilled in 2009 with an outturn of 399 bottles from one refill (Bourbon?) hogshead, this seven year old was bottled in 2016 at 46%. We tasted a nine year old from the same stable and found it to be a deliciously fruity, tangy malt with sponge cake and lemon lozenge-like flavours. Expect more of the same here, only with added spice and vibrancy.

Rarely seen except as an independent bottling, Miltonduff (est. 1824) is a large operation, now under the ownership of Pernod Ricard. Much of the production is reserved for the Ballantine's blends. Six pot stills are employed, and two Lomond stills (originally used for the the lightly peated 'Mosstowie' whisky, reportedly no longer produced). Whiskies marketed as Miltonduff are unpeated. Typically a combination of American oak and x Sherry casks are used for maturation.