The Singleton "Luscious Nectar" 12-Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

 

To many folks, The Glendullan Distillery is relatively unknown. Yet, it is the second-largest Scotch distillery under the Diageo umbrella. Like many big distilleries, The Glendullan is a workhorse whose distillate is mainly used for blends.

 

The Glendullan Distillery offers single malt whiskies under its exclusive brand, The Singleton. Glendullan is located in Dufftown and is one of seven along the river Fiddich in the Speyside region. The distillery was founded in 1897 by William Williams & Son. In 1919, Williams merged with Greenlees Brothers to become Macdonald, Greenlees, and Williams Distillers. In 1925, the distillery became part of Distillers Company Limited.  

 

In 1962, Glendullan went through a refitting, and in 1972, a second distillery was built immediately adjacent. Operations were moved shortly after that. Finally, in 1985 the original Glendullan was shuttered, with all production taking place at the latter. DCL later became Diageo.

 

As stated earlier, The Singleton is the only brand. It was launched in 2007, and all single malt releases are destined for North American markets. The Singleton whiskies are usually aged in former Bourbon barrels. Any single malts are aged on-premises, and barrels used for blends are shipped elsewhere for aging. It is an interesting way to do things, but it works for Diageo.

 

Today I’m exploring The Singleton Luscious Nectar 12 Years Old. It is made from 100% malted barley that aged in refilled Bourbon barrels along with Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Sherry seasoned casks for at least a dozen years. It was subjected to chill filtration, contains e150A caramel coloring, and is bottled at 40% ABV (80°). You can expect to spend about $39.99 for a 750ml container.

 

In full disclosure, Diageo sent me a bottle of this whisky, a bottle of Amaro Noninio, and another of Aperol. Inside the box was a recipe for The Singleton Scotch Paper Plane. Once I get through the whisky tasting, I’ll craft the cocktail and briefly discuss that. These were all provided to me in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest assessment. Let’s #DrinkCurious and discover what it is all about.

 

Appearance: I sipped this single malt Scotch neat from my Glencairn glass. Inside, the liquid was the color of a new penny. A medium-thick rim produced wide, watery tears.

 

Nose: The aroma consisted of honey, fruit, and grassy notes. Apples, pears, and orange citrus were easily identified. Vanilla and raisin were also apparent. Flavors of vanilla and almond rolled across my tongue as I drew the air through my parted lips.

 

Palate: A rich, creamy mouthfeel surprised me with a smoky, salted caramel on the front of my palate. English toffee, lemongrass, and orange zest formed the middle. The taste of bold vanilla, brown sugar, and charred oak came from the back.

 

Finish: Medium in duration, the finish highlighted the smoky, salted caramel flavor and pulled with it the toffee, vanilla, and brown sugar notes.

 

And now, for The Singleton Scotch Paper Plane.

 

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I found my neat pour of Luscious Nectar delightful. It was sweet and smoky in all the right places. If you’re concerned that the smoke is earthy or peaty, don’t be because it isn’t. I must admit I was curious where the PX Sherry notes were; regardless, this was a lovely pour. I sipped it on a warmish day, and it felt completely natural.

 

I’m far from a cocktail maven. I pretty much stick to Old Fashioneds and the like. But, since Diageo provided all the ingredients, I treated it as part of the review process. Let’s simply say the Paper Plane wasn’t my thing.

 

Despite the cocktail failure, I’m thrilled to have The Singleton 12 Year in my whisky library. It earned every bit of my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.