Millburn 17yo 1983/2001

Millburn 17yo 1983/2001

Unchillfiltered, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside
Pale yellow
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vitamin C tablets, lemon zest, almonds, walnuts, malted grains, gooseberries. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Candle wax, lemon zest, vitamin C tablets, malted grains, leather, petrichor, hints of peat. 
Finish: Long. Leather, candle wax, lemon zest, gooseberries. 

Comments: 

Cask 1538. Waxy and tart, with slightly chalky fizzy flavours. There’s a little earthy zing on the finish, with a gentle wispy peatiness. No water required, just enjoy the long lemony finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Millburn 18yo 1975/1994 Rare Malts

Millburn 18yo 1975/1994 Rare Malts

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Straw

58.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cinder toffee, yoghurt, sour cream, green apples, hints of smoke, hints of leather. With water, honey, green apples, sour cream, cinder toffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. White grapes, hoppy beer, sour cream, green apples, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, hints of gooseberries. With water, leather, gooseberries, malted grains, hints of celery salt. 
Finish: Short. Cinder toffee, honey, leather, clay dust, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Smoky, slightly lactic, and tart. Lots of spicy notes appear on the tongue. With a little water, it becomes fruitier, the old bottle effect appears, and the spice recedes. Delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Millburn 35yo 1969/2005 Rare Malts

Millburn 35yo 1969/2005 Rare Malts

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold, hints of bronze
51.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, lemon zest, rhubarb and custard sweets, vanilla, brass polish, roast chicken, hints of pineapples. With water, applesauce, roast chicken, brass polish, white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, astringent, oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Malted grains, brass polish, white grapes, gooseberries, leather, celery salt, hints of magic marker. With water, white grapes, malted grains, hoppy beer, hints of leather. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, hoppy beer, ginseng, yoghurt, vanilla. 

Comments: 

I had this one years ago, but it was disappointing - probably a spoilt or fake bottle. So today I am remedying the situation. It turns out that it’s magnificent. Oily and deep, intensely flavoured whisky with classic Millburn flavours, and just a hint of old bottle effect.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Millburn 27yo 1976/2003

Millburn 27yo 1976/2003

Reserve, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Pink gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Papayas, pineapples, honey, lychees, kiwifruit, leather, autumn leaves, hints of petrichor. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, oily, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Papayas, pineapples, orange peel, leather, musk, petrichor, malted grains, photocopy paper, clay dust. 
Finish: Medium. Ginseng, petrichor, leather, apricots. 

Comments: 

Cask 1598. Lots of classic Millburn notes, from tropical fruit to clay dust. There’s an interesting musky note as well, don’t remember that from Millburns sampled long ago.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Millburn 12yo 1983/1996

Millburn 12yo 1983/1996

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead 
Single malt - Speyside
Sunshine gold
59.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Starfruit, pineapples, lemon zest, rhubarb and custard sweets, hints of celery salt. With water, vanilla, starfruit, tutti frutti, hints of passionfruit. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Starfruit, lemon zest, rhubarb and custard sweets, tutti frutti, nutmeg, papayas, hints of smoke, hints of photocopy paper. With water, peaches, starfruit, leather, celery salt. 
Finish: Medium. Photocopy paper, papayas, starfruit, leather, hints of celery salt. 

Comments: 

I do like a Millburn, and this one does not disappoint. Lots of tropical starfruit, and sundry other fruit too, fading to the damp smoke characteristic of the dram, and celery salt, a sign of old bottle effect. Delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Millburn 26yo 1974/2001

Millburn 26yo 1974/2006

Chairman’s Stock, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
57.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, pineapples, mangosteens, bananas, white pepper, white wine, white grapes. With water, leather, malted grains, mangosteens, sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, tingly, airy. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Malted grains, hoppy beer, white pepper, white grapes, cinnamon, hints of mangosteens. With water, cooked rice, malted grains, sandalwood. 
Finish: Long. Leather, white grapes, cooked rice, cinnamon, white pepper. 

Comments: 

Spicy, quite tart, but still lots of tropical fruit and leather. The peat is gentle here, just a whisper. Lots of fragrant stuff as well. Brilliant whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Millburn 31yo 1974/2006

Millburn 31yo 1974/2006

Closed Distilleries, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - Speyside
Sunshine gold
52.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pineapples, mangoes, bananas, vanilla custard, malted grains, leather, hints of smoke. With water, starfruit, green apples, cotton candy. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, tingly, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Mangoes, hoppy beer, malted grains, vanilla custard, starfruit, leather, hints of smoke. With water, starfruit, lemon zest, malted grains, leather. 
Finish: Long. Vanilla custard, malted grains, starfruit, green apples, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Bright and fruity still, with just a bit of old bottle effect. Lots of tropical fruit with just that hint of smoke and leather in the background. Really good stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Millburn 41yo 1974/2015

Millburn 41yo 1974/2015

Rare Old, Gordon & Macphail 
Single malt - Speyside 
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, camphor, salt caramel, orange peel, cloves, leather, hints of damson jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slippery, oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Camphor, leather, cloves, fresh cut grass, orange peel, bananas, pineapples, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Long. Camphor, leather, bananas, cloves, damson jam. 

Comments: 

Cask RO/16/03. This is more like it - herbal camphor, lots of spices and fruit, with a slightly smoky edge. This has been lovingly aged, and is still complex and bright.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Millburn 1974

Millburn 1974

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside 
Golden
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honeycomb, leather, orange peel, dandelions, golden syrup, fresh cut grass, salt caramel. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Clay dust, leather, orange peel, toffee, honeycomb, photocopy paper, hints of tutti frutti, hints of dandelions. 
Finish: Short. Dandelions, smoke, orange peel, honeycomb, leather. 

Comments: 

Not the finest example of Millburn, but nice enough. It’s quite overwhelmed by old bottle effect, the lovely grassy fruit notes are quite faint and light. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Millburn 18yo 1977/1996

Millburn 18yo 1977/1996

Cooper’s Choice, Vintage Malt Whisky Co
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, leather, cinder toffee, applesauce, papayas, lemon zest, Chinese angelica, hints of candied oranges. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, slippery, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Lemon zest, applesauce, leather, honey, cinder toffee, passionfruit, hints of papayas, hints of charcoal ash. 
Finish: Medium. Charcoal ash, cinder toffee, leather, passionfruit, hints of papayas. 

Comments: 

Well, this Millburn is much less smoke-forward than some others, instead there’s a faint ashy flavour, underneath all that fruit. It’s very gentle and mild.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Millburn 1972 (bottled 1995)

Millburn 1972 (bottled 1995)

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside 
Golden yellow 
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, papayas, honey, pineapples, cinder toffee, lemon zest, sea salt, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Leather, tarry rope, smoke, celery salt, toffee, lemon zest, papayas, honey, marmalade, hints of Chinese angelica. 
Finish: Medium. Leather, celery salt, cinder toffee, smoke. 

Comments: 

Smoky, complex and enhanced with heaps of old bottle effect. It’s almost like licking a slab of peat and breathing in smoke. Lots of underlying sweet savoury notes too. Lovely stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Millburn 18yo 1983/2001

Millburn 18yo 1983/2001

Vintage, Signatory 
Single malt - Speyside 
Golden, hints of copper
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mushrooms, leather, autumn leaves, butterscotch, lemon sweets, vanilla ice cream, hints of roast pork. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loosens, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Mushrooms, roast pork, sea salt, vanilla ice cream, autumn leaves, strawberry laces, maple syrup, oolong tea, hay. 
Finish: Short. Leather, hay, autumn leaves, maple syrup, hints of vanilla ice cream. 

Comments: 

Rather odd - it starts of earthy and a little savoury, then fades into sweets and vanilla ice cream, then the savouriness returns. There’s also a dry grassiness, like new hay. Very pleasant whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

“Millburn 35yo Rare Malts 1969/2005”

“Millburn 35yo Rare Malts 1969/2005”

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Bright gold
51.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, leather, toffee apples, winter melon, cranberries, lemon zest, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, thin, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour. Peanuts, lemon zest, green apples, brown sugar, cranberries, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Short. Green apples, brown sugar, cranberries, peanuts. 

Comments: 

Something happened to this bottle. The whisky is washed out, thin, and the flavours are faint. Having said that the flavours, such as they are, taste old, and are reminiscent of Millburn. Anyhow, it’s not unpleasant, just disappointing.

Edit: in 2024, I managed to get a sample of this that’s much better. 

Verdict:

Not bad. 

Millburn 25yo 1975/2001 Rare Malts

Millburn 25yo 1975/2001 Rare Malts

Official bottling
Single malts - Speyside
Silver gold
61.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Barley sugar, white grapes, black pepper, cucumber, malted grains, petrol exhaust, hints of smoke. With water, pineapples, honeydew melons, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent.  
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White grapes, vanilla, fresh baked bread, black pepper, lemon zest, farmyard, hints of pineapples. With water, smoke, fresh baked bread, malted grains, pineapples. 
Finish: Long. Farmyard, petrol exhaust, lemon zest, pineapples. 

Comments: 

Surprisingly smoky, lots of fruity notes underneath that smoke though. I have not tasted enough Millburn to know of the distillery’s character, but this seems quite unusual. There’s a very Springbank-y note of petrol exhaust running through the whisky, with more than a hint of farmyard. It’s unusual, and such a treat.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Millburn 1972 (bottled 2006)

Millburn 1972 (bottled 2006)

Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
46% ABV
Half dram

Nose: Peanuts, peat, honey, lemon juice, apple sauce, sea salt, raisins, hints of leather. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, sticky, viscous. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, leather, black tea, ginseng, honey, lemon sweets, sea salt, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Long. Ginseng, black tea, sea salt, honey, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Another example of whisky that they don't make any more, and I'm not just referring to the distillery. This one has a bitter-sweet-salty combination, together with a syrupy mouthfeel, that is just irresistible. The herbal bitterness goes well with the leather and sea salt. Just heavenly.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Millburn 16 yo 1966

Millburn 16 yo 1966

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Butter, raisins, smoked pork, orange peel, mint, camphor.
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, loose, watery.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Raisins, smoked pork, chocolate, butter, smoke, camphor, hints of cinnamon.
Finish: Long. Raisins, chocolate, butter, orange peel, mint.

Comments:

Oldie but goodie. Sweet and luxurious, with a smoky, spice, savoury bite. Something of an apothecary's cabinet. A small weakness in the mouthfeel - if this whisky was thick and sticky and rolled about the tongue it would be perfect. I was very lucky to acquire this sample.

Verdict:

I like this.

Millburn 21 yo 1971/1993

Millburn 21 yo 1971/1993

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Orange gold
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Lemons, gooseberries, peaches, leather, menthol, oats, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, watery, smooth, loosens.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Peaches, lemons, gooseberries, orange peel, leather, sherry, hints of peat.
Finish: Medium. Gooseberries, peat, lemons, walnuts.

Comments:

A rare find, this. The distillery has been silent since 1985, and this bottling very hard to find. Sweet and unctuous, with a peaty tang that isn't too dense. The fruit is very in-your-face, and the whisky is quite sweet. Lovely. I wish I had more.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 87.8 (Millburn 21 yo 1983/2005)

SMWS 87.8 (Millburn 21 yo 1983/2005)

2005, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Sun gold
53.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, lemon zest, orange juice, orange peel, citron, gooseberries, hints of peat. With water, vanilla, butter and cream appear.
Mouthfeel: Light body, slight watery around the edges, static. Strangely, it gets tighter and more viscous with water (stimulating salivation, maybe?). Strange.
Tasting: Sour. Lemons, orange juice, melons, vanilla, butter, raisins, hint of peach. With water, more butter, more peaches, peat appears. Like bread and butter pudding.
Finish: Medium. Leather, orange juice, hints of peat.

Comments:

Excellent stuff, especially with water. Like a slightly peaty dessert, loaded with fruit and vanilla. Shame this distillery closed!

Verdict:

I like this a lot.