Daftmill 2005 Inaugural Release 12 Year Old Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 55.8%

Francis Cuthbert built a distillery in a farm building in 2005 and then waited twelve years before selling a single bottle. This is the first one. There is no earlier.

Expert description

Daftmill 2005 Inaugural Release 12 years is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in three first fill ex-bourbon barrels and bottled at cask strength of 55.8%.

The release gave 629 bottles and marks the beginning of Daftmill as a whisky distillery. The farm sits near Cupar in Fife, where brothers Francis and Ian Cuthbert grow their own barley and distil only in the periods when the fieldwork allows it — summer and winter. With an annual production of around 20,000 litres, Daftmill is among Scotland's smallest distilleries, and waiting twelve years for a first release is close to unheard of in the trade.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and fruit-driven. Orchard apple and pear, with tropical notes of pineapple and mango behind.

Palate

Lively and precise. Orchard fruit, honey and pale malt, with a gentle spiced note from the oak rounding it off. The cask strength carries the fruit without drowning it.

Finish

Long and clean, with apple, cereal and a mild oak warmth.

Specifications

Name: Daftmill 2005 Inaugural Release 12 years Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 55,8%
Distillery: Daftmill
Region/Country: Lowlands Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 55.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Three first fill ex-bourbon barrels
Distilled: 2005
Number of bottles: 629
Edition: Inaugural Release

Flavour profile

Fruity · Fresh · Tropical · Honeyed · Cask Strength

Investment potential

High. The very first bottle from a distillery that has since become one of the most sought after in Scotland, in an outturn of 629 bottles. An inaugural release cannot by definition be repeated.

Did you know?

Daftmill distils only when farming leaves room for it. The plant runs in summer after sowing and in winter after harvest — the rest of the year the Cuthbert brothers are farmers. That is why production stays at around 20,000 litres a year.

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Frequently asked questions about Daftmill 2005 Inaugural Release

What does Inaugural Release mean?

That it is the very first commercial bottling from the distillery. Daftmill started distilling in 2005 and only released whisky in 2018 — twelve years with not a single bottle on the market.

Why is Daftmill so sought after?

Because production is tiny, releases come in small parcels, and the distillery refuses to let whisky out before it considers it ready. The combination has turned every single release into an event.

What is a farm distillery?

A distillery run as part of a working farm. At Daftmill the barley is grown in the farm's own fields, and distilling happens only in the periods when the fieldwork allows.

What does Lowland whisky taste like?

Typically lighter, softer and more floral than whisky from the Highlands and Islay. Daftmill sits at the fresh, fruit-driven end — see the rest of the region in our Lowland Whisky.

Should I add water?

At 55.8% a couple of drops can open the fruit further. Try it neat first, because the tropical notes behave very differently with and without water.

Is it worth keeping?

It is the first bottle from a distillery collectors follow closely, in an outturn of 629. That cannot be made again, however many good releases follow.