The Deveron 12 Year

I have been off the grid for a bit. Vacation and family obligations have been a distraction; some pleasant and some woeful. This particular Saturday finds me hanging back sitting on a couch with the wife by my side. I brought this Deveron to our beach house vacation and just had some cursory tastings. Now, I figured, is the time to go in depth. A Highlander bottled at a modest 40%. “When billows break and haar ghosts in, then haste ye home or some bit warm, unwind with toasted grain and apples, seaborne spice; calm from the storm” quoth the bottle. A straw colored pour which reveals bright floral, fruity and sweet nose of dampened hay after a September rain. A subdued sweetness slowly and increasingly works its way in with vanilla custard, honeyed oatmeal. Add a mixture of apples and pears with a sprinkle of cinnamon and pecans. A smooth and velvety arrival within a medium light body. The sweetness is the show but it doesn’t dominate the spotlight. Caramel with confectioners sugar and honey. All that sweetness is tempered with a zing of fresh ginger or white pepper and cinnamon spiciness. Again, the orchard fruits are always present. As it starts to fade into the finish, a maritime brininess and a tinge of barrel char emerges. The palate is left with wood spices and tannins. The char sticks to the tongue, briefly. A bit small amount of bitterness comes through but quickly dissipates. The finish is sparse and what remains is a woody dryness. A solid offering that is inoffensive with a nice bouquet and a simple and sweet palate with a subtle spiciness. A summer sipper or a breakfast in a bottle. Enjoyable simplicity...with a nice beach glassed bottle. [$55][85/100][Tasted: 8/17/19]

My last review was for the Singleton 12, which is a Diageo blend-workhorse. Now I’m hopping over to one of my Bacardi’s choice distilleries for Dewars products. So I’m going to treat this review in a similar manner and try to determine how Macduff Distillery can stand on its own merits. Nose: Almond, cashew, and walnut. Sawdust. Malt, toffee, caramel. Unripe banana. Palate: Vanilla, caramel, and toffee. Roasted nuts. Almond, walnut, cashew. Golden raisin. Green grape. Honey. Malt. Fig. Sugar cookie. Finish: Sugar cookie, vanilla, and toffee. More of the walnut, almond, cashew. Caramel. White pepper and oak. Clove and nutmeg. Short finish. Writing notes for the nose was a struggle. Very weak. The palate was fine and the finish was about the same. This is unable to hit its mark at 40% ABV. The flavor is unable to make its presence known. What I am able to detect is very pleasant, but the emphasis here is the subtlety. 2.25/5. Macduff needs to beef this up. But as of right now, I know the primary function of their malt is blending for Dewars. Still, the Singleton 12 proves that what the distillery keeps for itself can be presented with character. And Caol Ila proves it can be done wott to excellence. $48 is way too high for this one. Skip it.

This is a budget 12 and much better than I expected. Plenty of heft in the nose and palate no thin weakling here. Bubble gum malt with poached pears simmered in butter and nutmeg. Rich deep savory flavor accentuated by the dry oak barrel influence. Has a little bit of a scotch tape vibe along the lines of Blue Peak. Decent finish with trailing sweet malt and drying almost bitter tannins. Welcome surprise that I would buy again. If you like Aberfeldy 12 give this a go its got more going on.....86/100

★★★½ J'avais besoin de couper la soirée en deux! Après la septième merveille du monde, je me devais de remettre les pieds sur terre et je me suis dit qu'un whisky d'entrée de gamme serait parfait pour remettre les pendules à l'heure. Je n'ai rien de plus à dire sur ce whisky, mis à part que c'est quand même bien pour le prix.

80 proof. $47.99, $50.63 with tax. Aged in ex bourbon barrels. Tea, honey, nuts, barley, french toast, toasted strawberries, earthy peat, oak, toasted apples, toffee, buttered corn, sugar cookies, pepper, vanilla, caramel. Different.

N: intense green apple, salt T: mid sweet, apple strudel, caramel, salt notes, raisin if you are an apple junkie...this is youre whisky… it has more apple flavor (but is less sweet) than even apple juice