Macduff 1973/2012 Creative Whisky Company

I don’t often get the opportunity to taste whisky from the seventies. You won’t find any whisky from before the eighties in my collection, and buying full bottles from that era has just become too expensive. So I rely on the sample swaps and the kindness of other people to be willing to include some magnificent older whiskies.

During a recent sample swap with Arjen he was kind enough to include (among others) a sample of an 1973 Macduff, from one of my favorite indy bottlers, the Creative Whisky Company of David Stirk. It turned out to be a wonderful fruity ex-bourbon whisky.

Macduff 1973/2012 (46,9%, Creative Whisky Company, C#16)

Nose: A sweet start with honey, accompanied by vanilla and coconut. There’s lots of orange and lemon as well as a nice amount of exotic fruits. Next to the sweet fruitiness, it also has a layer of mildew, tree bark and wood shavings.
Taste: Lots of citrus, very fruity. Also coconut and pineapple with some sweet sugar in the background. Silky smooth and creamy with oak and tannins.
Finish: Spicier (nutmeg) now, and less fruity. Medium in length.

Rating: 90

A wonderful fruity Macduff with some lovely oak influence. Every time I taste one of these 35+ year old whiskies, I just adore the oakiness and tannins. Really my cup of tea.