I’ve tasted a lot of whiskey over the course of my writing career, so I love it when a new release truly surprises me—and that was certainly the case with the new cask-strength expression from Daftmill. This small distillery located in the Lowland region of Scotland just released one of the best single malts of the year so far, a U.S. exclusive that knocks it out of the park in terms of flavor, complexity, and overall enjoyment.
Daftmill is owned by two brothers, Francis and Ian Cuthbert, and while spirits company Hotaling imports the whisky to the U.S., the distillery has not (yet) been purchased by a large company like Diageo, Pernod Ricard, or William Grant & Sons. Being an independent operation is not necessarily an indicator of quality, considering the excellent whiskies produced by many of the distilleries owned by drinks giants, but it does put Daftmill into an exclusive group that isn’t subject to the corporate pressure it might otherwise face. The distillery is located on land that has been owned by the Cuthbert family since the 1980s, and whisky production started less than 20 years ago in 2005. Unlike some other relatively new distilleries, Daftmill didn’t begin by releasing young whiskies aged just past the legally required three years during its early years. Instead, the first whisky came out in 2018, a 12-year-old single malt in a run of just 629 bottles.
The new Daftmill 2010 Cask Strength was distilled in 2010, as you can glean from the name, and it was bottled in 2023 making it a 12-year-old expression. It was aged in 15 first-fill ex-bourbon barrels that ultimately yielded 2,400 cask-strength bottles that clock in at 58.7 percent ABV. Like all of the whisky produced at Daftmill, this is a single-estate product, meaning that the Optic barley varietal used in the mashbill was all grown on the family farm where the distillery is located. According to the production notes, that varietal was planted across just three fields, and 2010 was the last time the family grew it.
American drinkers might not be as familiar with the Lowland region, one of the smaller whisky-making areas of Scotland. Distilleries like Auchentoshan, Glenkinchie, and Bladnoch are some of the bigger names there, but overall it doesn’t have the same recognition as regions like Speyside or Islay. A whisky like this one could help change that. At 58.7 percent ABV, this is high-proof but is nothing you can’t handle, especially if you add a few drops of water. The color is a light copper-orange, almost like honey. Honey is also one of the first notes that leaps out at you on the nose, along with vanilla and apricot. Vanilla continues onto the palate but morphs to custard form, complemented by notes of fennel pollen, a hint of banana, a healthy dose of spice, and a bit of leather and oak.
This new whisky is well balanced and truly delicious, a splash of liquid inspiration that you should try whether you’re unfamiliar with Daftmill or a longtime fan. It’s not cheap at $325 per bottle, which may strike you as being more than a bit pricy for a 12-year-old whisky from a distillery without a whole lot of name recognition. Still, curious whisky drinkers will not be disappointed by this fantastic new single malt, which hopefully is the first of many more to come.
Score: 97
- 100 Worth trading your first born for
- 95 – 99 In the Pantheon: A trophy for the cabinet
- 90 – 94 Great: An excited nod from friends when you pour them a dram
- 85 – 89 Very Good: Delicious enough to buy, but not quite special enough to chase on the secondary market
- 80 – 84 Good: More of your everyday drinker, solid and reliable
- Below 80 It’s alright: Honestly, we probably won’t waste your time and ours with this
Every week Jonah Flicker tastes the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Friday for his latest review.
