Macduff (Glen Deveron) was built with blending in mind and that mindset has never changed. It is a distillery that seems to arouse neither passion not hatred amongst whisky lovers, only mass indifference. The reason for this is that the spirit is essentially flawless, classically Speyside in style, sweet, malty, floral, slightly spicy, and with a little smoke. In 2009, unfortunately, the Scotch Whisky Act defined the Speyside region using political boroughs, and Macduff - being on the eastern edge of Speyside - was suddenly redefined as a Highland single malt. I don't remember ever trying a bad one and I don't remember any making the earth move or blowing my mind either and that is probably Macduffs problem, consistent okayness.

Founded: 1962
Stills: 2 Wash 3 Spirit
Water Source: Various Local Sources
Capacity: 2.4 Million Litres
Owners: Bacardi

In terms of production, it was built just as the era of modernity and change was taking hold of the industry so there have never really been any old school Macduffs bottled because they were never distilled. It has been relatively the same whisky since 1962, good for blending but not interesting for malt drinkers. There are many bottlings of it as it is readily available for buying and exchanging within the industry. The majority of these bottlings have been independent examples, some of which are excellent. There have been some aged expressions which are textbook examples of good, clean, well-aged Speyside whisky (from the days before Macduff was recategorised as a Highland distillery!).

Some examples out of sherry casks are particularly good, Macduff seems to take well to heavy sherry ageing. However, it becomes less about the actual distillate and more a vehicle to highlight the quality of the wood/specific cask in these instances. The problem is that it is not a particularly soulful, entertaining, or inspiring whisky, although it is well worth trying it for yourself and seeing what you find if you enjoy technical and well-controlled drams this might be a revelation. As a summer dram with ice or in a cocktail it can also work wonders, seeing as there is a lot of it, it is a whisky you can afford not to be too precious about and just simply enjoy/quaff with chums.