I received a set of samples from the latest bottlings by Milroy’s of Soho just as I left on holidays. Now that I’m back, I was looking forward to look into them. It is quite a wide selection, from a young blended Campbeltown whisky to a deeply sherried Macduff and one of our favourites: a Ben Nevis 1996.
Ben Nevis 28 yo 1996 (51,8%, Milroy’s Vintage Reserve 2025, hogshead #1583)
Nose: outstanding. Warm, waxy fruits. Apricots, ripe pineapple, mango and hints of lime. Then some peppermint and linden honey. Gradually more sunflower oil and chalky notes come out, but then again also gummi bear notes to balance it out. Up there with the best casks.
Mouth: a bit more minty and spicy than some others, with plenty of spearmint and verbena, along with mild white pepper. After that the fruits move forward: lemons, tangerines, pineapple and a little guava. Also tiny hints of pink grapefruit and maracuya in the end. Mild chalky dryness too.
Finish: medium length, mixing tropical fruits with mineral elements and a faint grassy and malty edge.
Another really good one and certainly the highlight in this session. I’ve written tasting notes for around 40 sister casks (1996 vintage alone) and I never get tired of them. Still available from Milroy’s of Soho.
Aberfeldy 10 yo 2014 (55,5%, Milroy’s of Soho 2025, dechar-rechar hogshead #420)
Nose: quite bulky, with peanut oil, butter pastry and hints of earthy spice. Barley notes, butterscotch, hints of banana bread and herbal honey sweetness. Then also dried grass and vanilla notes.
Mouth: slightly prickly, but now a nice wave of fruits appears, with sweet peach, pears and fresh lime. Even a hint of tinned pineapple. Still a generous malty layer as well, along with caramelized nuts. Then a chalky and herbal edge, aniseed and orange cake.
Finish: medium length, with citrusy notes, malt and sweet baking spice.
The fresh char amplifies the thick and honeyed spirit character of Aberfeldy. A good blending malt but a tad too heavy on its own. However in this line-up it does provide a different profile. My two cents, as always. Available from Milroy’s. Score: 81/100
Glen Ord 11 yo 2012 (56,4%, Milroy’s of Soho 2025, bourbon barrel #800243)
Nose: instantly fresher and brighter. Juicy pears and green apples, with peach and a greener note of nopal. Icing sugar and lemon sweets. Then mint leaves, drops of grapeseed oil and subtle floral notes.
Mouth: really fresh again, with plenty of limes (or lemonade) and apple sweets with unripe pineapple. Light earthy notes appear, with green tea and some sharper grapefruit and fizzy candy in the background. Mild oak spice.
Finish: quite long, a tad greener still, with mild herbs along with citrus rinds.
Slightly narrow perhaps, but I really dig this bright and perfectly sippable style. Perfect for summertime, in my opinion, and I’m sure it makes aweseome highballs. Available from Milroy’s. Score: 88/100
Campbeltown Blended Malt 9 yo 2016 (57,1%, Milroy’s of Soho 2025, bourbon barrel #9)
Nose: distillate-driven, on bread dough and chalky notes, lemons and muesli. Also some green maltiness and minerals. It misses the depth and intensity of Springbank though, adding more fruitiness and creaminess. Then more grassy notes and baking spice. Almost no funk, more of an introduction to the style.
Mouth: it starts with lemon zest, grassy notes and a hint of paraffin, which suggest some Glen Scotia. Then some apple and beer notes, along with a firm saltiness and liquorice. A few Haribo bears too. After a while I’m afraid I’m picking up a soapy note, or some lavender, which is bad news.
Finish: medium, still bready and citric.
Weird. I must admit I’m not expecting soapy notes from Campbeltown distilleries, but I tried different glasses. It’s certainly not FWP territory either, but I’d still give the advice to be cautious. If you’re looking for a cheap Springbank alternative, this may not be the perfect choice. Available from Milroy’s. Score: 76/100
Macduff 16 yo 2008 (66,7%, Milroy’s Vintage Reserve 2025, third fill sherry butt #130900362)
Nose: fruit-driven sherry. Plenty of raisins, fresh figs, hints of red plum jam and toffee apples. Mild sandalwood, along with sweet mocha, hazelnuts and whiffs of candied almonds. Some modern oak spice in the background, adding punch. Water brings out tobacco but also caramel notes, making it flatter.
Mouth: quite hot, yes. Still nicely sweet and fruity though, with red berries, marzipan, candied walnuts, toasted hazelnuts and sweetened coffee. Then plums and sweet orange candy, followed by herbal notes. Quite peppery. Here water brings out milk chocolate and some oaky notes.
Finish: long, with a firm spiciness, fruity sweetness, cocoa and caramelized nuts.
One of these modern, very active sherry casks (Signatory’s 100 Proof profile). The overall richness and deep fruitiness makes this Macduff very attractive though. Available from Milroy’s. Score: 88/100