Muckety-Muck 25 is the second single grain scotch whisky to be released by the Orphan Barrel Project. In this instance, the juice was sourced from the now-defunct Port Dundas Distillery, which was established in 1811 at the highest point in Glasgow and went belly-up in 2011.
The whisky has a potent nose that bursts with raisin, walnuts, vanilla apple core, and an unmistakable note of butter pecan ice cream. It begins light and silky on the palate, with fruity and nutty flavors—chiefly walnut—and an apple note that passes from crisp red to tart green.
At the center, those fruit notes grow earthy and dry. Also at the middle is a rich nuttiness best embodied by cashews and pecans, coupled to the start of strong, creamy vanilla and licks of oak. As we hit the nuts and vanilla, the palate grows only more viscous.
The finish sees that strong vanilla transform into buttercream frosting, its satisfying richness propelled by the nutty notes that again bring butter pecan ice cream to mind. But for all those rich, pint-of-ice-cream-in-front-of-the-TV flavors, the final stretch sees it dry out to a satisfyingly crisp and lightly sweet finish suggestive of fresh malt.
Single malts still get the lion’s share of attention in the scotch world, but if there were ever a showcase for what single grain whisky can do, Muckety-Muck 25 is it.
★★★★
Stats:
— 45.5% ABV
— $249.99
