Review #659 - Daftmill 2011 Winter Batch Release
Daftmill often labels their small batch releases by both the year and season of distillation - this batch was distilled in the Winter of 2011, specifically in December. There's no age statement on the bottle, but since this was distilled right at the end of 2011, and we know that it was bottled in 2024, it's almost definitely a 12 year old single malt.
The cask type used for maturation was exclusively first fill bourbon casks, and after that 12-ish years of aging, 7,500 bottles were yielded at a strength of 46% ABV. Like other Daftmill bottlings, because the number of bottles is somewhat limited, the price is higher: $160 for this whisky in the US.
Daftmill 2011 Winter Batch Release
Scotland/Lowland - Single Malt
Price: USD 160 (2025)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled December 2011, bottled 2024; 7,500 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 8 months from a sample (bottle split). Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Icing sugar, light fruits of pear, banana, and a lot of guava; there's a nice spirit character lingering, good balance between spirit and cask. The complexion is light; we get freshly baked bread and some honey, more buttercream icing, and sweet pastries. Apple, wet hay, cherry Pop-tarts, and licorice were one-off notes.
Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness; pear drops, vanilla, honeydew melon, banana, and lemon continue the light complexion from the nose. It's quite fruity - we also get star fruit and more creamy guava - and there's a bit of white pepper to go along with drying oak. Honey, clove, and hints of lavender add more layers.
Finish: Lemonade, apples, honeydew melon, pear - still a lot of fruit notes. Caramel and vanilla add soft baking flavors, and there's a floral element to the spirit which combines with subtle oak. It's still a bit youthful and vibrant into the finish, a mix of sweet and tart, and the finish has a medium length.
Final Note: A good single malt whisky from Daftmill which walks the line of distillate-cask balance quite well. With the exclusive bourbon cask maturation, the flavor profile is very much focused on light fruits and soft baking notes; the buttery baked good notes in the nose are a treat, and we love the guava flavor that was present throughout the tasting experience.
Value is a bit tricky, though, as these Daftmill bottles are very expensive due to both their limited nature and the production quality at the distillery. We're glad to have a portion of a bottle from a bottle split, but we would be thinking twice before pulling the trigger on a full bottle for $150+, based on the actual flavor in the bottle.
Our Average Rating: 7.1 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.28
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
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