Miltonduff and Provenance Knockando Whisky

It’s been a while since I posted anything about booze on here. Partly because I don’t keep it around long enough to take pictures of it! But also because I don’t feel like I can talk about booze the same way I can talk about food. There are hundreds of fantastic beer, whisky and wine writers out there who can describe what they’re drinking with beautiful, descriptive prose. I’m not one of them.

However I can tell you what I like. Which might be enough for this blog. With that in mind I’d like to tell you about a couple of whiskys I’ve been supping over the last few weeks.

I’m lucky and cursed that we have such a good booze vendor in Banchory. Lucky because Deeside Drinks are superb at recommending beer and whisky that I’ll like and they almost always have new and interesting bottles that I’m keen to taste. I’m cursed because they’re superb at recommending beer and whisky that I’ll like and they almost always have new and interesting bottles that I’m keen to taste. It gets expensive after a while!

Thankfully this is a hobby that doesn’t always have to break the bank. Last time I was in I was handed a small taste of a Miltonduff 10 year old from Gordon and MacPhail which they’re selling for a bargain £20. Sandy at Deeside knows I like the vanilla flavours of Balvenie and gave me the Miltonduff to try with that in mind. It’s easy to see why. It might not have the polish of the Balvenie but if you’re after a decent bottle to give you a reason to visit the drinks cupboard a bit too often then this is a star.

The other bottle I’ve been drinking recently is unusual for its youth. While the Irish don’t have a problem with young whisky most single malts tend to wait until the spirit is at least 10 years old before they think of bottling it and asking for your money. The Knockando 9 year old from Douglas Laing’s Provenance label is a bit different then. Coming in a little strong at 46% and a bit pricier than the Miltonduff at nearer £40 than £30, its youth belies its flavour. Sharp and spicy with a bit of caramel. It’s not as easy to drink as the Miltonduff and a splash of water is required for my tastes. Still it’s a lovely dram and well worth a taste if you come across it.