Macduff 2007 SV 100 Proof - Exceptional Cask - Edition #3

Blind tasting of all 3 "Exceptional casks" 100 proof bottlings. I found it interesting how they're each very differently sherried. One was red berries, leather, dark chocolate. Two was all toffee & caramel, with a hint of citrus fruits in the taste and then turning quite bitter in the aftertaste. Three was herbal oloroso, with earthy notes in the taste and quite spicy in general. I wouldn't describe any of these as "exceptional" casks to be honest, but if I had to pick one I would go for number one, because I appreciate a fruitier, leathery type of sherried whisky. Turns out number one was the Aultmore, number two the Glenburgie and number three the Macduff. The Aultmore has a bit of everything, it's balanced and well matured, and it makes you want to go back to it. It's basically a good modern heavily sherried whisly. The others just lack depth IMO, and you have to really like either the toffee/caramel or herbal theme to enjoy them. For the price you of course can't complain, but at some point you have to decide for yourself what the definition of a bang for your buck is. Is it just a cheap(ish) whisky with good stats (age, strength, cask type) or is it a dram that you really enjoy and go back to time and time again at maybe a slightly more elevated price? For me it's definitely the latter, because the first type of dram just ends up staying opened in the back of the cupboard. And I'm afraid both the Burgie and the Macduff would end up in that category. Edit: I need to revise my opinion on the Macduff and Burgie. Both improve significantly with water added. They're still nothing amazing, but water does turn them into pleasant drams. Added an extra point for both.

The system that Signatory used to differentiate the whiskies of the 100 Proof Edition between the very affordable 'normal' edition and the Exceptional Cask Edition remains a mystery to me. OK, the whisky is 16 years old, that could be a criterion. But it comes from the Macduff Distillery, which certainly cannot be classified in the top tier of distilleries, and like every whisky in the edition, it was matured in 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butts, which is anything but exceptional at Signatory, but is probably the most commonly used cask. The color is a strong golden color but not exceptionally dark. glen-efze.de

A decent whisky, very fruity, dominated by sherry and dark chocolate.

Not just dry and woody, there is also some fruitiness - not bad

A competent sherry bomb, if nothing tremendously special. At the price point, that’s not surprising. It’s a good price for a 16 year old in first fill sherry casks. I assume Signatory reserves the best casks for the pricier cask strength line, and I don’t blame them if they do. I rather welcome a mid-priced entry that pushes back against the seemingly ever-rising prices in IBs. It’s not the best thing I’ve drunk all year, but if Signatory gets a few more customers with a more modestly priced line, that’s a win for them. I’ve seen Murray McDavid do something similar, though this is frankly far better.

Neat and fair priced. The alcohol is very well incorporated here.

Aroma Sweet, pepper, chocolate, leather, spicy, orange notes The taste Sweet, spicy, nutty, chocolate, leather, pepper Resonance Medium long, sherry, leather, tobacco, spicy, chocolate

This is the 10th whisky I try from the 100 proof series and, being a good one, it is far from "exceptional". Bland distillate and good quality casks create a good, quite Macallan-esque malt whisky. Very enjoyable but I think there are better options in the standard range of the 100 proof serie for less money. Blind I would guess more a port-matured whisky than an ex-oloroso one due to the tons of berries on the nose and palate.

Nase: Süß, dunkle Kirsche, sahnig, Gewürze, etwas Eiche, dunkle Trockenfrüchte | Geschmack: Süß, würzig, Kirsche, Eiche, Gewürze, dunkle Trockenfrüchte, Malz, Kirschenschale, leicht sahnig | Abgang: Mittellang; süßes Malz, Kirsche, Kirschenschale und etwas Eiche bleiben. | Fazit: Die Nase geht süß los. Dunkle Kirsche und eine sahnige Note (Kirsch-Sahne-Joghurt) folgen. Gewürze und etwas Eiche sind außerdem wahrnehmbar. Dunkle Trockenfrüchte ebenfalls noch. Der Geschmack beginnt intensiv. Süß und würzig ist der Whisky anfangs. Kirsche, Eiche und Gewürze kommen nun. Dunkle Trockenfrüchte, Malz und etwas bitterer Kirschenschale folgen. Auch hier eine sahnige Note. Ein schöner Whisky. Stark fassbetont und intensiv. Fehlnoten habe ich keine. | 86-87 Punkte

Very sweet and jammy in aroma, strawberry jam, figs, malt, cellar, leather, fortified sweet wine, slight spiciness with citrus freshness at the end. The taste is full of chocolate bitterness, berry tartness, jam sweetness, oak woodiness and spiciness.

In addition to the regular 100 Proof series, Signatory Vintage has also released the Exceptional Cask series. Number 3 is a 16-year-old Macduff bottled at 57.1% ABV. The nose has plenty of cherry. Behind that, oak, spices, and nuts. I also detect a hint of cocoa. Now comes caramel fudge with peach and apples. The palate starts off strong and spicy. The alcohol kicks in well. Then there are dried fruits and sweet forest honey. Now oak comes in. Caramelized nuts, chocolate, and a hint of licorice are also present. Raisins, spices, and orange peel also appear. The finish is long. Dried fruits, spicy oak aromas, and tobacco leaf remain. A beautiful bottling with a lot of power. The Oloroso cask left a big mark and brought lovely sherry notes. The addition of a little water makes the nose creamier. Mirabelle jam also comes through. The palate softens as well. The powerful attack softens, but without losing the spiciness. The caramel becomes more intense, as does the orange peel. The finish remains unchanged. In my opinion, no water is needed, as the alcohol adds a nice intensity.

After 2 sessions needs water and time wins in the finish..not the regular sweet cherry maggi everybodys darling sherry..more an earthy/dirty twist without beeing funky ..I start to like it :)).. for the price a stunner

Pulpy sherry, ripe mirabelles, Italian grapes, yellow plums, apple crumble. Fairly fine woodiness, tanned leather, with vanilla and lemon. Mountain honey. Warm wax. Mouth where the fruits impose themselves, spicy greengages, pear compote, squeezed oranges, with powerful spices, cloves, nutmeg. Explosive and long finish, cumin, a hint of charcoal and wood, chocolate chips. Damp tobacco, cola juice. Some cereal and malty touches. Here the Sherry is not intrusive, and it is the best Exceptional Cask so far. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2024/09/macduff-2007-exceptional-cask-100-proof.html

Unfortunately for me not at all "exceptional", OK drinkable but sometimes boring Color - golden clear brandy

"A whisky that will make you forget the disappointment at Glendevron" After experiencing the overly watered-down Glendebron 20 first, drinking SV Macduff 16 made me think that too much is much better than too little. If you ask me which whisky I would choose between the Glendebron 20, which seems to have been released as a product somehow with a refill sherry cask at a similar price range, and the heavy and rich SV Macduff 16, I would definitely choose the latter. Signatori vintage products are often criticized for having too much oak barrel power, but I like too much rather than too little. The sherry feeling of dried fruits such as raisins is not strong, but it is a whisky that brings out the heavy cocoa/dark chocolate feeling well without any big off notes.

I really like its aroma. The taste is somewhat wild or boisterous.

My favorite among the “Exceptional Casks”.

I like it a bit better on the second tasting. I now detect more dark sherry aromas on the nose and a lovely leathery, meaty note on the palate. Overall, it's well-aged and round, but also somewhat boring. The oak spice is too dominant and coarse for me.

Tasting: 06.2025 Sample 2 cl. von KruMa

Really nice and sweet sherry influence that leaves space for lighter fruit aspects. Absolutely quaffable...

aroma: delicate, full, honey, citrus, flowers, butter, dried fruit taste: harsh, alcoholic, wood, honey, sherry Excellent shot. Sherry flavor and those grads. For me, excellent whisky

caramel, cocoa, tobacco, leather, red fruits, spices, apple, orange, wood driven and spicy with some fruits, not bad

[85~87] nice, no off notes, there is something to discover, purchase incentive only if the price-enjoyment ratio is good :-)