Darrin Whitfield
2.5
The Daftmills I've tried so far possess the light elegance found in the finest Japanese whiskies — and with the 2007 winter release, they now have a price to match, an outrageous $250 per bottle. This might be acceptable if the quality had improved proportionally, but something has gone seriously awry here. There's a bitter oaky finish that detracts from the pleasure of satsuma segments on the nose and a burst of lemon at the front of the mouth. I spent several days revisiting my sample, assuming my palate was off for a day or two, but the sensation of chewing damp wood persisted until the very last drops. Everyone makes mistakes, but this is an expensive one that wastes a lot of this distillery's goodwill.
