Macduff is one of five Dewar / Bacardi distilleries and the one that sells most single malts (even though it’s still less than 10% of total production). It’s popular in France and Italy and also known under the name of Glen Deveron. This 25 years old expression is bottled and distributed by Luc Timmermans’ Thosop company.

Macduff 25 yo 1984 (54,9%, Thosop 2009, Bourbon cask, 120 btl.)

Nose: malty and fresh. Quite some clean oak (hints of paperand almonds as well). Tonic with a dash of lemon. A bit closed maybe. A very good swimmer though, because water brings out flowers, apricot marmalade and vanilla cupcakes. The longer you let it breathe, the more fruity it gets (pears). Mouth: It’s quite strong on herbal notes, with hints of camomile tea up front and some pepper in the back. Add a little vanilla and tiny hints of sweet lemons and oranges. With water: more wood and a little milk chocolate. Some liquorice as well. Finish: pleasantly warm and quite long. Spicy, still reminds me of herbal tea.

Take your time and enjoy. There’s a lot in this Macduff 1984 that you won’t pick up in a first of second impression. A challenging dram with different layers. Remember to add water as well. Around € 70.

Score: 86/100