Daftmill 2009 Fife Strength 15 yo

 

 

 

56,3°

Distillery : Daftmill - Lowlands

19 1st Fill Bourbon Barrels, 1 Pedro Ximénez Sherry Cask 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

One of the things I like about Daftmill is the accuracy of their information. This one is the product of a maturation process in 19 first-fill bourbon barrels and only one Pedro Ximénez sherry cask. The barley used is Optic barley, and 3,840 bottles were available for sale. This is an annual series that has been around since 2022, so this is the third batch, and we are awaiting the fourth.  

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is a little closed, but reveals some surprises. Buttered bread, shortbread biscuits, freshly cut raw wood, dry hay, French toast, apple pie, garden flower honey, mirabelle plums, creamy vanilla, ripe bananas, and a generous dose of lemon. On the palate, it is almost exclusively fruit, peaches, pears, apples, and perhaps a little exoticism, mango, papaya. Various spices, cinnamon, grey pepper. Powerful, fairly long finish, hazelnuts, sticky caramel, cooked fruit, grainy cereals, peppermint. 

 

In Short, 

It makes me smile when I read here and there that the single sherry cask distorts the distillery's profile. Yet it only accounts for 5% of the liquid. The influence of sherry is real, but very subtle, merely intensifying the product's fruity character. Which is a good thing, in my opinion. The result is a very good whisky that retains the distillery's distinctive character and has a beautiful maturity. On the other hand, I find the price very high. I know that the distillery's artisanal standards increase production costs, but still. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Ghostly Kisses - Blackbirds

Daftmill 2011 Winter Batch Release 2024 12 yo

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Daftmill - Lowlands

1st Fill Bourbon Barrels 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

At Daftmill, whisky is only produced at certain times of the year, in the middle of summer and in winter. This distillery is first and foremost a farm, hence the words “Single Farm Estate” on the bottle, which means that in order to run the farm, it cannot focus solely on whisky. As a result, production is tiny, at around 100 casks per year. This bottling is therefore significant, as it is the product of 27 first-fill bourbon barrels, and 7,500 bottles were released for sale. Made with Publican barley, harvested in August 2009 and malted a year later, distillation took place in December 2011. The barrels were then stored on site before bottling in the summer of 2024. This is therefore a 12-year-old whisky. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is very airy, even ethereal, hints of the countryside, vanilla and hay, liquid honey and slices of lime, ripe Conference pears, white peaches, a few herbaceous notes and thick wax. Young wood, malted cereals, very subtle notes of candied fruit. On the palate, it is mellow, though a little less expressive, but with character, honey and butter biscuits, rustic wood, crushed banana, a few almonds, orchard fruits, pepper and cloves. Fairly long, powerful finish, liquorice stick, aniseed, still earthy roots, candied lemon, peppermint, white chocolate. 

 

In Short, 

It has personality and character, it is airy, woody, herbal, but above all fruity. It is very well made, under artisanal conditions, and deserves respect. Beautiful spring freshness, beautiful expressiveness on the palate, very decent finish despite the reduction. Really a bottling I could consider, but this bold manufacturing process involves a significant cost, which does not necessarily reflect the quality of the product. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Lucille Two - Suddenly

Daftmill 2011 Collection Itinéraires 13 yo

 

 

 

58,9°

Distillery : Daftmill - Lowlands

1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Farm Estate 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

As part of the Itinéraires Collection launched by La Maison du Whisky at Whisky Live Paris 2025, this Daftmill was aged for 13 years in a first-fill Oloroso sherry butt supplied by Bodega José y Miguel Martin, before being released in a limited edition of 300 bottles. It is a Single Farm Estate, which means that the bottling was entirely conceived on the Daftmill farm, the barley is grown and malted on site, the whisky is matured and even bottled on site.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :   

Intense and honeyed sherry, red fruit purée, raspberries, redcurrants, apricots, milk chocolate, curry and goat's milk, hazelnuts, cashews, fruit jellies, and a hint of citrus fruits, lime, orange and mandarin. Cedar bark, pine needles. On the palate, the honey is more liquid, with a dash of vanilla, dry grass, jams, deeply present malted cereals, which complement the spices. A woody, elegant, long and powerful finish, with balsamic vinegar, pine resin, dry bark, ginger, crushed chestnuts.

 

In Short,

To be honest, I don't know what to think of this Daftmill, I've tasted it twice. The first time, I really liked it, but the second time, I found the sherry flavour much too strong, slightly acidic and unbalanced. I imagine both are valid, depending on when the bottle was opened. If the bottle has been open long enough, it's fine, but if it's just been opened, it's too strong. Other factors must come into play, but it's these small details that can turn a very good product into something excessive and unbalanced. In any case, the price here is far too high. Even if the whisky is as good as what I tasted the first time, it's too expensive.

Score : 88  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Humbe - Morfina

Daftmill 2009 Double Single Bottled Exclusively for Aqvavitae 15 yo

 

 

 

55° 

Distillery : Daftmill - Lowlands

1st Fill Bourbon Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

It's been 20 years now that the distillery has been gracing us with its Single Farm bottlings, made entirely in-house, from growing the barley to bottling. Their undeniable expertise is beginning to shine through, with this one in particular, a blend of two 15-year-old 1st Fill Bourbon casks, giving 362 bottles to savour. Aqvavitae is a YouTube channel run by a great whisky fan, and this is one of the first bottlings in his honour.   

Let's Taste It : 

A dash of vanilla and citrus fruits galore, but also angelica, olives, reeds, crushed walnuts, marshmallow and crème fraîche. A few discreet mineral touches, and if you go that way, rustic, raw cereals too. But it's still very herbaceous, with green fruit, greengages, mirabelle plums, peach pits. On the palate, it's silky and limpid, with spring water, rose loukoum, chestnut leaves, almond paste, light spices, cloves. The finish is very long, pleasant, once again, very herbal, leeks, celery, two drops of balsamic vinegar, charcoal and earth.

 

In Short, 

There's a lot more personality in this one than in any other Daftmill I've tasted. This one really has the character of the distillery and it's impressive. For me, this is a very good bottling, but the price is high, so you have to make sacrifices.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Vega Trails - Largo

Daftmill 2009 Single Cask c. 028/2009

 

 

 

60,6°

Distillery : Daftmill - Lowlands

1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Farm Estate

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

In operation since 2006, but not having released a single bottle until 2018, Daftmill is a very unique distillery. Run by the Cuthbert brothers, it is first and foremost a farm, where a small amount of whisky, the equivalent of around a hundred casks a year, is distilled at quiet times of the year, in summer and winter. As the whisky is made entirely on site, from harvesting the barley to bottling, this is the only distillery to carry the Single Farm Estate label. The cask we're talking about was made from Optic barley, harvested on the farm in August 2006, malted in the summer of 2007 and finally distilled on 8 July 2009 in a 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt. After 11 years of maturation, the cask has filled 649 bottles, and was then sent to the shelves of La Maison du Whisky for priority sale in France.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Languorous but not overpowering sherry, salted butter caramel, blood oranges, barley sugar, mandarins, mirabelle plums, grapefruit, papaya, currants sprinkled with cinnamon, red fruits in the background, blackberries and bilberries. Alcohol is still present, and a bit of water needs to be added. On the palate, honey drips over morello cherries, a little nutmeg and walnut, brown tobacco crumbs, buttered Shimeji mushrooms. The finish is quite nice but not extremely long, with dark chocolate and coffee, clods of earth, cloves and light forest hints.

 

In Short, 

Really interesting, full of varied fruits and sweetness, this little thing. However, it's very good but not sublime, because there are a few little flaws. It's a bit alcoholic on the palate, but the finish isn't that explosive, I'd have preferred the opposite. That said, it's really something to discover, unfortunately the price is exorbitant, even at auction.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Eilen Jewell - I Remember You

Daftmill 2008 Summer Batch Release 11 yo

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Daftmill - Lowlands

7 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrels

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2019

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

The Daftmill distillery in the Lowlands opened in 2005. It is a confidential establishment, as it does not produce more than 20,000 liters of alcohol per year, and the distillation only takes place four months per year. The bottles produced are therefore rare. Here we have something aged entirely in 7 1st Fill Bourbon Barrels, which gave only 1780 bottles. The age is not mentioned on the bottle, but it is given on some sales sites.

Let's Taste It : 

Fresh, green, herbaceous, Granny Smith apple, mint leaf, lime, iodine, icing sugar, slightly sweet, genoise and whipped cream. Vanilla ice cream, milk chocolate chips. A sunny day at the farm. Grass freshly mowed and bathed in dew. Drops of honey and goat milk. On the palate, vanilla, coconut, grapefruit, buttered bread, peppermint, discreet spices, cereals, ripe wheat and malted barley. Long and proper finish, hay, pastry cream, mille-feuilles, meringue, nuts. Lemon zest.

 

In Short, 

The perfect summer dram. It's fresh, minty, sunny. Very interesting indeed, original and bold. This distillery has her own character, apart from all the others. To be followed. The price is totally nonsense, though. I admit it's a small company, and the costs are hence high, nonetheless, it's delusional. 

Score : 87

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           First Aid Kit - Angel