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| Hello, that is certainly one of our (virtually) each day tastings. Santé! |
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July 29, 2025
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A wee duo, or maybe is it a trio of Daftmill
There’s this incredible ‘Undertaking 1927’ by James Eadie, which brings collectively six newmakes from some reasonably avant-garde younger Scottish distilleries. Regardless of their modernity, all of them had been eager to experiment with manufacturing strategies from the Nineteen Twenties—yeasts, fermentation strategies, and so forth. Proof, if ever it had been wanted, that custom might be forward-thinking, don’t you assume?
Amongst these six distilleries is an ‘Unnamed Farm Distillery within the Coronary heart of the Kingdom of Fife’, whose newmake we’ll be tasting at present. And to spherical off the session in a manner that’s maybe just a little coherent, we’ll even have two Daftmills.
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Unnamed Farm Distillery within the Coronary heart of the Kingdom of Fife 2023-2024/2024 (63.4%, James Eadie, Undertaking 1927, spirit drink) 
This one was distilled from homegrown Golden Promise barley, floor-malted on website and fermented for approx. 100 hours utilizing brewer’s yeast. Color: white. Nostril: explosive certainly, much more estery than anticipated, with a right away slap of inexperienced olive (a considerably uncommon creature within the Kingdom of Fife) and copper polish. The intensely fermentary side is, after all, nicely to the fore as nicely, bringing ideas of sourdough bread, however care have to be taken as that is severely potent stuff that would very quickly incinerate our nostrils. With water: now we enter the world of small fruits, all both within the strategy of fermentation or not too long ago caught within the act. Cherries, plums, raspberries, little berries of indeterminate origin, and even a glimmer of shochu. Mouth (neat): with due warning, pear eau-de-vie comes as no shock, nor does the limoncello, however the damp earthiness, salty flashes and recent woodland mushrooms are reasonably sudden in a newmake. With water: this calls to thoughts wild cherry eau-de-vie as produced by the best Alsatian distillers, resembling Marcel Windholtz in Ribeauvillé. Which is to say, ‘they may bottle this as is’. End: lengthy, now correctly salty, although there can’t be a gram of precise sodium within the dram. Clearly, it’s a query of sure papillae being activated, presumably by ions or some such, however we’ll admit the chemistry of the palate shouldn’t be fairly our area. Feedback: sure, they may completely bottle this and I’m sure it could make smashing martinis. We will check that principle forthwith this very night.
SGP:662 – between 85 and 90 factors (we don’t actually rating newmakes, in spite of everything). |
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Daftmill 2009/2025 (55%, OB for Aquavitae, bourbon cask, casks #03+055/2009, 362 bottles) 
It is a ‘double single cask’, you perceive. Oh, and he-ha, the Daftmill label does certainly specify that they’re situated ‘within the Coronary heart of the Kingdom of Fife’, which certainly can’t be mere coincidence. That stated, a number of new distilleries now reside inside the Kingdom of Fife however allow us to transfer on… Color: pale gold. Nostril: usually very taut, mineral, and uncompromisingly herbaceous, as if it had been infused with grapefruit peel, which fits us marvellously as we’re reasonably a fan of such aromas. There’s additionally woodruff, lashings of it, together with just a little lemon verbena. With water: nearly unchanged, save for the looks of slate and chalk, each delightfully pulverised. Mouth (neat): splendidly pure and textural for an ex-bourbon, all vanilla, lemon, and exceedingly vigorous wee herbs, with the hovering magnificence of the driest white wines. One would possibly even say it’s ‘Sauvignoning’. With water: it takes a flip for the rootier, now evoking candy gentian, celery stalk… All the time a cheerful place in my e-book. End: lengthy, pure, indefatigable but by no means fatiguing (if that is sensible). A reasonably startling umami high quality proper on the finish. Feedback: it borders extra on watchmaking than mere distilling, so exact it’s.
SGP:661 – 90 factors. |
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Please extra of the identical…
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Daftmill 2011/2024 (56.3%, OB for the Milano Whisky Competition, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #094-98-99/2011, 615 bottles) 
There’s additionally a primary fill oloroso model from an earlier Milan pageant, however let’s keep centered on the bourbon at present… Color: white wine. Nostril: naturally it’s very shut, although this one’s a tad cleaner, a contact fruitier, however all the things else is near-identical. Let’s say we’ve moved from Sancerre’s Sauvignon to Chablis’ Chardonnay. With water: ah, a couple of faint petroly notes, however we quickly return to a much more civilised lemon custard. Mouth (neat): reasonably fatty, even oily, with limoncello making a triumphant comeback (Italy, after all), together with a correct chalkiness. And it’s simply so good, it’s frankly getting just a little embarrassing. With water: touches of pine liqueur, orange blossom and a pinch of paprika, all layered over the basic chalk-vanilla-lemon-fresh bread combo. End: pretty, pure, and downright moreish. One other bottle that basically ought to come back with a warning label. Feedback: completely excellent, albeit with only a fraction much less of the earlier one’s surgical precision. Nonetheless flying very excessive certainly.
SGP: 661 – 89 factors. |
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In any case, right here’s hoping Daftmill has laid down a little bit of that ‘James Eadie-style’ newmake for ageing! As freshwater anglers prefer to say, good issues come to those that wait. We merely can’t wait…
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(Merci, Martin and because of The Whisky Lodge)
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