Daftmill 2009 Fife Whisky Festival Cask #31 & Daftmill 2011 Swedish Exclusive Cask #100

Daftmill 2009 Fife Whisky Festival Cask #31

Region: Lowlands

ABV: 58.6%

Price: £165.00

This is a special Daftmill release that was selected by Luvian's for The Fife Whisky Festival. This 1st fill bourbon cask was filled on the 8th of July 2009 and bottled in 2022. A total of 211 bottles were released.

Nose

The nose opens with tinned peach, fresh orchard fruits, sprite and appletiser. We’re also finding candy floss, custard cream biscuits and some fresh pineapple right at the end. There’s a good amount of peppery spice coming through along with candied orange peel and coconut flakes. Coming back to it after some time and air, we’re getting melon and a touch of honey too.

Palate

The palate begins with a spritzy sensation of Albariño wine, some of the melon from the nose, white pepper and lime cordial. There’s a good amount of alcohol here, but it’s quite well balanced and allows some of the softer, fruited flavours to shine without issue. It’s got a great mouthfeel, honey and caramel, and the finish lingers on for a while with icing sugar and apple peels.

Nose (with water)

Reduction brings out some more of the oak, brown sugar, caramel, almonds and butterscotch sweets. We’ve lost some of those fresher fruits, but also it’s tamed some of the pepperier aromas. We’re also finding honeycomb and vanilla extract too.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate maintains the lovely mouthfeel, and in a similar vein to the reduced nose, it’s sweeter and richer. It mirrors some of those caramel, butterscotch and honeycomb flavours. There’s still a touch of peppery spice on the finish but the water has reduced this a fair bit.

Conclusion

This is a dram that transforms with water. Pre-dilution it’s fruity, fresh and zesty, transforming into a a rich, decedent dram after water is added. It’s a touch spicy in places, but it’s pretty damn good. We’re just sad that we’re a year and a bit late to the party.

Score: 8.5/10

Daftmill 2011 Swedish Exclusive cask #100

Region: Lowlands

ABV: 60.3%

Price: Approx £165.00 (we assume)

Distilled on the 23rd of December 2011, this Swedish exclusive was matured in a first-fill oloroso Sherry butt until 2022. A total of 646 bottles were released.

Nose

We’re met with rich aromas of toffee, macadamia nuts, milky coffee, treacle, and dark chocolate ginger thins. There’s also some orange mixing in with the dark chocolate. Time and air reveals blackcurrants and brown sugar. It’s impressively easy to nose for 60.3% ABV.

Palate

The palate begins with ginger beer, more caramel, burnt honey, and white pepper There’s bit more of the alcohol coming through, and we’re finding this is not quite as balanced as the bourbon cask. There’s some of that chocolate orange from the nose, candied almonds, cloves and molasses. The mouthfeel is good, it’s reasonably syrupy, and the finish lasts quite a while, with lingering ginger spice.

Nose (with water)

Reduction brings out charred staves, more meatiness in the form of beef oxo cubes and caramel that’s been taken a bit too far. Other than that, most of the aforementioned aromas are the same.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate maintains the syrupy mouthfeel, we’re getting notes of waffles, toffee, dark chocolate and pecans. It has slightly more bitterness on the finish, and we’re finding it’s also slightly drier than before.

Conclusion

This is clearly a good quality whisky in a well-sourced sherry cask; however, we can't help but feel that the Daftmill DNA has been overshadowed by the sherry aromas and flavours. We prefer our Daftmill in bourbon and don't think this bottling will change that opinion. Overall, we rate it 7.5/10.

Score: 7.5/10

• 10 - Perfection. A whisky that we’ll remember forever.
• 9 - Amazing. We’d pay through the nose for a bottle.
• 8 - Great. Pick this up at RRP.
• 7 - Good. Happy to have a dram or two but wouldn’t buy a bottle.
• 6 - Passable. Would accept a dram, but wouldn’t seek it out.
• 5 - Poor. Would drink if it was the only option.
• 4 - Bad. Maybe it can be saved by ginger beer?
• 3 - Awful. It can't be saved by ginger beer.
• 2 - Pour it out
• 1 - We’ve never tried a whisky rated this low and hopefully never will.

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