Dufftown distillery was founded in 1896 in a converted meal mill on the Dullan Water, in the town that calls itself the malt whisky capital of the world. It has been a workhorse for blenders throughout its history — most notably for Bell's, of which it was the principal malt component during that brand's long run as the UK's best-selling blended Scotch.
For most of its existence Dufftown released only sporadic single malt bottlings under the Flora and Fauna and Singleton labels. When Diageo relaunched the Singleton brand in 2006, Dufftown was assigned the European market, particularly the United Kingdom, while Glen Ord went to Asia and Glendullan to North America.
The 12 Year Old is matured in a mix of European and American oak and styled, like its sister Singletons, for accessibility rather than statement-making. It is sweet, gentle and inoffensive — a perfectly honest dram that does what it sets out to do without surprises. As an entry into Speyside or as a daily pour, it has its place.
