I believe I have only tried one Millburn so far, in a hotel bar in Valencia. In fact, according to Whiskybase there has only been one bottling in the past fifteen years!
By far the oldest of Inverness’ three distilleries, Millburn was closed in 1985. The building was used by a restaurant and renamed The Auld Distillery. When someone claims to be a serious whisky lover, ask them whether they’ve had Millburn (and make sure you try it yourself if you have a chance).
Millburn 1974 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ 2000)
Nose: rather middle-of-the-road. Sweet apple juice, dusty grains, hints of waxed paper and metal polish. Linseed oil. Minty touches, evolving to a floral scent. This was made to be blended away, I guess. There’s a certain old-style appeal to it but it’s fairly mundane.
Mouth: not as weak as I feared. Juicy apples, rather nice hints of paraffin, a good dollop of honey as well. Some herbal notes and light pepper. Also hints of wet paper. A light bitterness towards the end. Not exactly special, but it reminds me of my early years of whisky discovery.
Finish: not too long, on oily notes, herbs and bitter oranges.
It may not be a highflyer in terms of complexity or sheer pleasure, but this is an interesting quirky style that was quite common in the 1970s. It is far away from most modern malts and that’s exactly why it is worth trying. On the other hand, hunting down a full bottle in auctions may not be necessary. I’ve been told the Millburn 1969 Rare Malts is a stunning whisky though.