Miltonduff Distillery, Speyside

Miltonduff distillery lies south of Elgin, on the land of the old Pluscarden Priory that owned a brewery and probably a distillery too as soon as in the 13th century. It is not inconceivable that the monks carried out a small production of aqua vitae, particularly since religious orders in Ireland and Scotland were regarded as guardians of the secrets of distillation since the middle Ages.‘Duff’ was added to the name when the land on which the distillery stood was bought by the Duff family, the Dukes of Fife. The recent history of the distillery is not well documented, but Miltonduff is said to have been founded in 1824, following the introduction of the 1823 Excise Act. It was modernised in the late 1930s after its acquisition (together with Glenburgie) by Hiram Walker and it is currently part of the Pernod Richard group. A small part of the production is marketed as single malt by the Elgin's independent bottler Gordon & McPhail. Half the output is sold to outside blenders, and the remaining part is used in the blends of the group, mainly Ballantine's and Teachers. The style is flowery (rose petal-fragrants), sweetly sappy and delicate, with very little smoke and a touch of oak vanillin.