Singleton of Dufftown 15 Years is an odd whisky. Not because it tastes weird or anything like that, but because it’s one of three distilleries that sit under the Singleton name. Depending on where you are in the world you can also find Singleton of Glen Ord and Singleton of Glendullan. Diageo made this rather confusing decision back in 2006 when these whiskies were first released to the duty free market.
Singleton of Dufftown was released, in travel retail, for Europe bound travelers, Glen Ord for Asia and Glendullan for America. However in 2008 Diageo abandoned the travel retail and the whiskey began showing up all over with Singleton of Glendullan having the biggest presence in the USA, but I’ve also seen plenty of Singleton of Dufftown here too – though no Glen Ord that I can remember. However even that’s changed a bit recently as Singleton of Dufftown is now being pushed as a series of 3 NAS whiskies aimed at specific flavor profiles: Spey Cascade, Sunray and Tailfire. An interesting, but not surprising, turn of course for what’s been a liter sized value whisky for the last 7 years.
Singleton of Dufftown 15 Years Info
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Distiller: Dufftown
Mashbill: 100% Malted barley
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40%
Sample from the Five Flavors of Scotch Flaviar pack.
Price: $45
Singleton of Dufftown 15 Years Review
EYE
Old penny
NOSE
Malt, butterscotch, fruit, spice, toffee, toasted grain and a wee bit of vanilla and wood. It’s a fairly light aroma, but manages to stay interesting enough that I wouldn’t mind a second glass.
PALATE
Buttery fruit, malt, toasted grain, candied citrus and a touch of nuts and dark sweets. Like the aroma the flavor registers on the light side, but it’s well put together and interesting enough that I could go for another.
FINISH
Medium and fruity with notes of malt and toasted grain.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Good balance, medium body and a soft easy mouthfeel.
OVERALL
Singleton of Dufftown 15 Years is a light, unassuming, but not completely spineless whisky. The fruit and malt characteristics work well together and while it’s not terribly interesting it’s not boring either. It’s a bit like that guy at a party who may not be incredibly interesting but he’s a decent conversationalist and isn’t annoying. He’s not the life of the party, nor is he a wall-flower. He might be a bit vanilla, but all-in-all he’s a pleasant fella – that’s the Singleton of Dufftown.
SCORE: 85/100
