Macduff 18 year - Batch 3 (That Boutique-y Whisky Co.)

Another new distillery that began operations in 1963. This producer of blended single malts for Bacardi now has its spirit included in subsidiary blends by John Dewars & Son, which also owns Royal Brackla, Aberfeldy, Craigalleiche, and Aultmore. This is another excellent job by a boutique operation. Impressive cask selection, given only 372 500ml bottles were produced. I couldn't find cask details, which is typical for this operation. It tastes like first-fill bourbon, though others detected multi-refill sherry; I perceived too much viscous honey and vanilla, along with a slightly vegetal, herbaceous character. The base spirit isn't outstanding, with a bit of an ethanol presence, but the cask influence more than makes up for it. It's a good value for an 18-year-old at under $100. I'd rate it a solid 4 to 4.25.