Dufftown, the Speyside town that gave the world the maxim 'Rome was built on seven hills, Dufftown stands on seven stills', is home to no fewer than six working distilleries. The distillery called simply Dufftown was founded in 1896 by Peter Mackenzie and Richard Stackpole in a converted meal mill on the banks of the Dullan Water, and like its neighbours it spent the twentieth century supplying the blended trade.
When Diageo launched The Singleton in 2006, Dufftown was nominated as the face of the brand in Europe — a twin arrangement alongside Glen Ord for Asia and, later, Glendullan for North America. The aim was gentle: to provide an accessible Speyside malt for drinkers trading up from blends.
The 15 year old delivers on exactly that promise. Matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, it offers the soft orchard fruit and raisin sweetness that Speyside does so well, with a light dusting of spice and a polite oak grip to keep the sweetness honest. There is no drama here; nor is any intended.
At 40% ABV and with Diageo's usual commercial presentation, this is a whisky designed to be drunk rather than debated. Taken in that spirit — poured into an ordinary glass on an ordinary evening — it is a perfectly dignified Speyside 15, and a fair introduction to a distillery whose name deserves to be better known.
