The Singleton of Dufftown 17-year-old

Overall rating
84.68/100
votes
132
Whiskybase ID
WB164635
Category
Single Malt
Distillery
Bottler
Distillery Bottling
Bottling serie
Diageo Special Releases 2020
Bottled
27.02.2020
Stated Age
17 years old
Casktype
Refill American Oak Hogsheads
Strength
55.1 % Vol.
Size
700 ml 750 ml
Bottle code
L0118DM003
Barcode
5000281063539
Added on
30 aug 2020 11:17 pm by Likudi
Non-chillfilteredCask Strength

Average value

£ 109.08

15 × in wishlist

132 × member ratings

248 × in collection

Whisky reviews for The Singleton of Dufftown 17-year-old

30 users have left 30 reviews for this whisky. Average rating is 84.68 points.

  1. Stefan_Hartl scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    Very intense honey with herbs, apples and candy sweetness. Above all, the nose is convincing with this malt. The only drawback as usual with the special releases: Far too expensive for what is on offer.
    • Nose
      Immediately fruity honey with sweet apples and pears. In addition, floral notes with a whole bouquet of summer flowers. Over time, the sweetness continues to increase, it is now reminiscent of sweet candies. Herbs and damp grass are still in the background. A really nice nose.
    • Taste
      Creamy and sweet on the tongue. Intensive start with lots of black pepper and honey again. Apples, pears and herbs are also there again.
    • Finish
      The finish begins with strong black pepper, almost chili. And honey again. After the heat and honey have disappeared, a nice candy sweetness remains on the palate for a long time.

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  3. PariLevi scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      85 85

  4. rottendon scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    Personally, it's almost a bit too sweet for me, but since it's so clearly moving away from honey, it's quite interesting again. Very difficult to judge, but I would say it has a clear age. Otherwise I would locate it in the Highlands, Aberfeldy would come to mind spontaneously, but maybe also a Highland Park? After the second sip I have to correct myself a bit, I think it's a bit younger now, it doesn't seem so settled in the mouth.

    Notes from a blind tasting.

    OK, so the first guess about the age was correct after all. Dufftown, Speyside, good too.
    • Nose
      82 82
      A whole truckload of yellow apples starts things off. Add some honey and cardboard, i.e. OBF (Old Bottle Flavour), or should that be smoke? There is nothing more for now. After a significant period of standing there is only a sharp acidity that disappears in the first breath. Behind it just a hint of vanilla and some mustiness. Movement brings back delicate fruit notes and OBF, but overall much more closed than at the beginning. The honey is back too. If you add hand warmth, it comes alive. Now there are peaches, slightly fermented fallen fruit and the honey in the cardboard box, but this time intense and strong.
    • Taste
      86 86
      Sweet as honey immediately in the mouth, with some white pepper and a hint of fruit acid. Dark caramel with some bitter substances comes to the rear. It's amazing what he's doing in his mouth. Significantly more complex than the nose. The power development is rather moderate.
    • Finish
      83 83
      The finish is medium-long, the sweetness and the bitter notes are about the same pace. At the end, a slightly limp bread sweetness remains in the mouth.

  5. Nuraydin scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    Sweet, light, grassy and fresh. Slightly herbal and very pleasant to drink. Reminds me of Hakushu.
    • Nose
      85 85
      Apple, fresh cut grass, very light.
    • Taste
      89 89
      I didn't feel the 55% alcohol. It's very balanced, A lot of fruits, a little bit herbs. Quite sweet. A great whisky for summer.
    • Finish
      88 88
      A bit oily, sweet, medium long finish.

  6. Robinzon25 scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    Summer fruity-floral whisky, embellished with cask strength.
    • Nose
      Wildflowers, candied melon, peach, mango, powdered bun, honey.
    • Taste
      Apricot jam, melon, spices, sweet pastries, tannins.
    • Finish
      Quite long, sweet, with hints of honey, yellow fruit, herbs and oak.

  7. professor_vsop scored this whisky 85 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      83 83
    • Taste
      85 85
    • Finish
      88 88

  8. Soderberg scored this whisky 83 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      81 81
    • Taste
      84 84
    • Finish
      83 83

  9. MarcinCh scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    Very pale, only light straw color. Whisky is quite oily.
    • Nose
      86 86
      Pleasant, quite sweet aroma. Sweet notes (honey, caramel, vanilla) mixed with fruity notes. Fairly fresh fruit, rather yellow. Apricots, perhaps, the closest. Maybe some peaches. Later, sweet notes again. Sweet, light cream. Sponge cake soaked in alcohol, rum or eggnog. A pinch of spices. Cinnamon. Delicate notes of apples and pears. Traces of oak in the background.
    • Taste
      82 82
      Sweet cream on the cake. Fruit, yellow. Peaches. Spices. Cinnamon and black pepper. The bitterness of the oak. It's a little spicy on the first sip, but still bearable for the power. Bitterness is intertwined with fruity sweetness, although there is a bit too much of it. It's not too oily in the mouth.
    • Finish
      82 82
      Oakwood. Notes of dark chocolate. The skin of dry, yellow fruit. Then a little bitterness again. It's definitely not sharp. Very gentle for the power, but at the same time simple and definitely not pleasant enough. It is also not too long. Medium-long to max-medium-long finish, but of low intensity. For the second sip, at the beginning more sweet than sweet cream on a cake and ripe, yellow fruit. It only lasted for a moment, however, and then the bitterness reappeared.

  10. zzqfyl scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  11. rolabob scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  12. DannyDram scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    Malt, quince, green fruits, rhubarb, honey, grass, oak, ginger, white pepper. Balanced, honey sweetness, warming, piquant, strong body, medium intensity.
    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  13. Slàinte Mhath scored this whisky 79 points Super Administrator

    Quick hit review. Whisky calendar - Day 18.

    Was this Diageo's gap filler for the Port Ellen? Not one of my go-to distilleries, but let's be fair. Quite fresh and floral, the nose features pears, honeydew melon and cereals. Water softens it to some extent. On the palate, unripe citrus fruits and ginger are overshadowed by bitter tea and grapefruit zest. It's quite hot around the edges. Dry and bitter notes prevail in the finish, which unfortunately is quite long. I'm sorry, but this doesn't work for me.

    RATING: 3.0/5.0 stars ≙ 79 pts → AVERAGE

  14. sidqi scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
      Grassy and honey sweet,very malty.Fresh fruits like lemon and green apple,lemon cake,ginger and aniseed spicy.
    • Taste
      86 86
      Fresh and mellow,fruity and sweet,ginger spicy.Barley sugar,tangerines.
    • Finish
      87 87
      Long and sweet,ginger and fennel spicy,barley sugar,a little minty.

  15. Thermidor scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    Tasted blind.

    This one jumped out to me as the blind tasting's oldest whisky by both its nose and its palate. My hunch turned out to be right, as the other whiskies on the table turned out to be 11yo or younger.
    • Nose
      A bit flowery at first, then whiffs of a bar of soap, cantaloupes, marshmallows, cucumber skins, old linen, and a wisp of chlorine with water. This may sound like 1980's Bowmore, but the tar and mothballs are missing, and so is the perfume. I like the restrained and gentle oak. The cask feels almost exhausted, which suits me well, since that gives the distillate room to talk to me.
    • Taste
      Taste confirms that this must be the oldest whisky in the blind set. Some grandma's fruit candy meets Speyside levels of peat. There's no soap here, but instead a certain dirtiness that reminds me of Mortlach, although the distillate doesn't feel that heavy.
    • Finish
      Long, smooth and mature, with a rooty, slightly soapy tail. I like the discreet oakiness.

  16. EvilAFI scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    A good fruity and vanilla irish whisky with enough oak to give it a bite and complexity
    • Nose
      87 87
      Sweet tinned fruit and sugar bread, oak and malt
    • Taste
      88 88
      Tropical fruits, vanilla & floral then oak
    • Finish
      87 87
      Papaya, green apple, light spice

  17. gaboruso scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      86 86

  18. lincolnimp scored this whisky 72 points Connoisseur

    This does not work on so many levels, not for me.
    • Nose
      80 80
    • Taste
      70 70
    • Finish
      68 68

  19. Tangtang_WhiskyYoda scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    All in all quite complex and balanced, I find the finish a bit short and so you can only enjoy the actually nice aromas in the finish for a short time. Still quite a nice malt
    • Nose
      very fruity, apples, light pears, alcohol is present, spicy, some oak, hay and some herbs, slightly dirty wet grass, later some kiwi and honey
    • Taste
      very sweet start, honey, vanilla, caramel, sweet light fruits, becoming oily and creamy, some pepper, herbs, some citrus fruits, very slightly salty in the background
    • Finish
      sweet fruity finish, slightly spicy, vanilla, chocolate, caramel, some nuts, slightly bitter at the end, unfortunately rather short

  20. penumbra scored this whisky 80 points Expert Senior

    I have drunk a few of the 2020 SRs, and they all have some obvious defects of alcohol stimulation, but in terms of flavor, how do I say it reminds me of a word, nourishing and refreshing, suitable for vodka used as water when I was young, and the taste deteriorated when I was old After drinking, the uncle remembers the tragic years of the past.
    • Nose
      The somewhat CB-shaped Speyside Bourbon barrel is very sweet and can be taken to the people of the Bay to drink. Vanilla ice cream, almond tofu, cough syrup, rich fruit, yellow apricot, yellow heart kiwi, pineapple crisp, fragrant pear, loquat. Finally, there is some grassy smell, and the alcohol stimulation is slightly obvious.
    • Taste
      Honey, vanilla, shredded ginger, white wooden board, corn flakes, citrus, salt and pepper ginkgo. I hate bourbon barrels, they look pretty good, and I don’t know what to drink after reading the flavor words a week later.

      It is fuller, average fat, sweeter, no acid, no tannin, no astringency, little bitterness, slightly spicy and alcoholic.
    • Finish
      Long-term, yeast, bread, wooden boards, honey water, a bit of salt, spicy.

  21. Mortar1703 scored this whisky 84 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      84 84
    • Finish
      83 83

  22. 33rdCASK scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      86 86
    • Finish
      87 87

  23. Teresa scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      88 88

  24. claymore84 scored this whisky 85 points Expert Senior

    Tasted on 12-21-2020.

  25. ldcsh scored this whisky 85 points Expert Junior

    Sample 20cl
    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      84 84
    • Finish
      85 85

  26. Georges scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    Matured on refill American oak.
    • Nose
      88 88
      Fruity (apples, pears, kiwis), rhubarb, gooseberries, beer, citrus, hay, heather, grassy, floral
    • Taste
      88 88
      Oily, waxy, grassy, fruity (apples, pears, tangerines, limes), honey, vanilla, herbs, spicy (clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger), blueberries
    • Finish
      87 87
      Medium long, sweet malt, warm, pepper, grapes, grassy

  27. kimmosuo scored this whisky 82 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      84 84
    • Taste
      81 81
    • Finish
      81 81

  28. thijs100 scored this whisky 86 points Connoisseur

    Maybe this isn't the sexiest of this year's Special Releases, but The Singletown of Dufftown 17yo is simply good, proper malt whisky.
    • Nose
      Hints of lime and underripe banana peel, this is rather spirit-forward and gentle. Fruity though, with a good amount of kiwi and green grapes, even some apple sauce. Finally a whiff of lavender. While maybe not abundantly aromatic, it certainly grabs my attention.
    • Taste
      Sweet and creamy with some lovely grassy elements, as well as nice orchard fruits and honey. Ending on soft oak spices, herbal notes and a touch of cloves.
    • Finish
      A hint of chalk, but mainly white grapes and freshly cut grass.

  29. hs305 scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    [October, 2020] I did not like most of Diageo's 2018 Special Releases while I enjoyed many of the 2019 Special Release bottlings very much. This year's editions are of a rather chequered quality again so it seems the only consistent thing about Diageo's Special Releases is the yearly average price increase of about ten per cent. Therefore I changed Diageo's marketing claim from "Rare by Nature" to "Greedy by Nature"...

    ...and this bottling is a perfect example for this. A 17-years old from a third-tier distillery with the simple profile of a blending base malt provides just a limited drinking pleasure to single malt connoisseurs and therefore is not worth more than 50-60 Euro - unless you are a fan of blending base malts (I never met one so far) or you do not have to care about prices at all because of your deep pockets (but than you would buy more interesting stuff, surely). Do not get me wrong, Diageo: It is okay to release such profiles from time to time to provide drinkers the opportunity to experience what blenders prefer but it should be priced accordingly!

    [December, 2020] I re-tasted this dram again and fully confirm my old review and score. Nothing wrong about this whisky, but still I miss any good reason to drink more of it given all these delicious other drams out there which are priced more reasonably (still).
    • Nose
      82 82
      The colour is pale gold and the nose offers a punchy (alcoholic) and rather unimpressive profile of grassy-floral aromas without any highlights to discover. There are no flaws either (the least to expect from such a release) but even after playing around a lot with water this profile does not release any interesting notes. To be honest: Sniffing this dram is quite boring.
    • Taste
      84 84
      The taste is all about daf-stuff (drink and forget), exactly what blenders like as a base malt for their compositions because it adds substance without pre-setting any flavours directions already (as there are no interesting flavours at all). Great to create blends, rather boring to drink as a single malt. Exactly this is the destiny of the bottle I bought, too: I will use it to pep-up other flavoursome but under-powered malts like the 18-years old Cardhu or 21-years old Aberfeldy but to be honest - it is way too expensive for such blending purposes...
    • Finish
      82 82
      The mouthfeel is warming and coating with some peppery-punchy moments which are a little distracting. The finish is of medium length and turns more to the malty-mashy side which makes this dram to appear much younger, actually this does no favour to the drinking pleasure. There are significant drying-astringent impressions towards the end which I do not like. Some water does not change a lot while a further reduction releases some fruity impressions both in the nose and on the palate but still these stay very shy. I like this dram best when reduced to about 40% abv.

  30. markjedi1 scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    This Singleton contains malt from the Dufftown distillery and matured solely on refill American oak.

    Nicely fresh and reminds me of spring. Lots of hay and corn flakes with apple sauce and lime, honey and fresh ginger. Pear drops! Elegant nose.

    Suspiciously soft on the palate. Creamy and sweet on liquorice, apples and pears with honey.

    The finish is feisty on white pepper, blueberries and mandarin.

    Accessible and charming.

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