Introduction
Interestingly, The Singleton Brand (which is owned by Diagio) has three distilleries from which they bottle from. They typically export the different 'expressions' of the singleton to different parts of the world. For example, in Asia, it is most likely to be branded as "The Singleton of Glen Ord", with the whisky originating from the Glen Ord Distillery. In the Americas, it is most likely to be bottled as "The Singleton of Glendullan", with the whisky originating from the Glendullan distillery. And in Europe, and the expression being reviewed in this post, the whisky is bottled as "The Singleton of Dufftown". And yes, that was a town in Scotland before it was a beer in "The Simpsons"...
On the Nose
I immediately picked up a strong, sweet note, I'd describe it as almost fake almonds. I wouldn't go as far as saying it was like Marzipan, but it reminded me of a bright red cheap cocktail cherry.
Looking deeper, some fresh dark fruits and a hint of cooked (not fresh) apples. The oak is present in the background, but you have to really concentrate to find it.
On the Palate
Oily and sweet, with a bitterness to finish. The oak taste comes through more so than it did on the nose. It was a very short finish for me, and not as sweet as the nose suggested. Quite thin and light. After a few sips, I started to get some nutty texture coming through (you know when you eat a dry nut and it leaves an almost chalky consistency? That.)
With water?
Not recommended. This already thin 40% whisky doesn’t gain anything from the addition of water. I found it just made the whisky even more thin, and less enjoyable.
Conclusion
This is a very affordable whisky, and one that is easy to drink without complexity. If you want to search for various smells and flavours, this isn’t the whisky for you. After a couple of sips, you nail what this whisky is about and after that, it’s a simple and unchanging dram.
Would I Buy it Again?
I don’t think I’d rush to purchase this whisky again, there are far more complex and enjoyable whiskies for this price. Having said that, I bought this whilst it was on offer at a local supermarket for around £26, and for that price (if you are lucky enough to find it for that), you can't really turn it down! It is, after all, a 12 year old single malt!