Daftmill 2013/2026 - 12 y.o. - Summer Release

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

For this Summer Batch Release, Francis Cuthbert married whisky from fourteen first-fill bourbon barrels. These former bourbon barrels rested on the upper level of the traditional dunnage warehouse. The whisky was distilled in summer 2013 and filled into casks in July that year. It was twelve years old when bottled in June 2026. The edition comprises 3,775 bottles at 46% alcohol, each containing 0.7 litres.

The barley can also be traced back to the family's own farm: the Concerto variety grew in Daftmill's southern fields and was harvested on 2 and 3 September 2011. After drying and storage on the farm, it was malted in Alloa in spring 2012. The whisky is bottled without chill filtration or added colouring.

Alongside sweet cereal and stone-fruit notes, this release reveals herbs with floral touches, vanilla cream and raw biscuit dough. Hints of ginger, melon and orchard fruit add to this range of flavours.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose is soft and sweet. Barley sugar sweets and buttery shortbread lead into delicate porridge notes, preserved peaches and a hint of warm spices.
• Palate: The whisky is supple and approachable on the palate. Barley sugar sweets and shortbread return, joined by soft oat notes and the sweetness of ripe peaches.
• Finish: The long finish is gently warming. Honeyed apricot notes linger as the delicate sweetness slowly fades.

Distillery/Bottler:

Daftmill lies near Cupar in Scotland's Fife region and is part of the Cuthbert family's farm. In 2003, Francis and Ian Cuthbert began planning the conversion of the old mill buildings into a distillery. Following the conversion and installation of the equipment, the first whisky was produced on 16 December 2005. The copper stills and mash tun came from Forsyths in Rothes, while local tradespeople carried out much of the remaining work.

The farming calendar determines the distilling seasons: production takes place during the quieter winter months and a break in farm work in June and July, before the harvest begins. Daftmill uses home-grown barley and water from its own artesian well. The distillery and farm are also linked through the reuse of production residues: spent grain feeds the cattle, while liquid distillation residues serve as fertiliser. Warmed cooling water is saved for the next mash or directed into the duck pond.

Facts: