DAFTMILL 2011 13 Y.O. SHERRY CASK
December 17, 2025
There appears to be a growing number of “farm distillery” operations where the ingredients for making whisky are generated onsite by farmer whisky makers. In this review, I’m very excited to be exploring one such operation by pouring a single cask release from the Daftmill Distillery, located by the town of Cupar, in the Kingdom of Fife, in the Lowland Whisky region of Scotland.
The Daftmill Distillery is actually part of the Daftmill Farm, owned as a partnership between brothers Francis and Ian Cuthbert with the hands-on running of the farm by FRANCIS. This Single Farm Estate is a true WORKING farm where the barley used for the whisky production is actually grown right there on the premises. Another cool thing: the water used for production comes from their own artesian well. This hands-on approach means Daftmill produces a LIMITED amount of whisky each year because it has it has to be done in the slower farming seasons when Francis isn’t actually planting and sowing crops, namely the middle of summer and the middle of winter.
I had the good fortune to visit the distillery recently and I got to meet Francis Cuthbert, and I have to say, he’s running an impressive, small, one-man operated distillery. I’ve never seen anything like it before.
The bottles are distinctively tall and slender, surpassing the height of even an Octomore bottle, and since their first distillation of spirit took place in December of 2005, that means they’re coming up on their 20th anniversary.
THIS one I’m pouring today is an exclusive bottling done for Royal Mile Whiskies in Edinburgh where I was lucky enough to purchase this one…and the release had 638 bottles in it. Now if you’re into whisky geekery and you’re wondering how come so many - since a cask of whisky usually gives up between 200 and 300 bottles - it’s because this spirit spent its days maturing in an Oloroso sherry butt, which gives up a significantly larger number of bottles than a standard bourbon barrel. And when they pulled it out of that big old butt, they bottled it at 59.3 percent ABV. And because there appears to be an eye towards quality here, I’m pleased to say that this whisky has been produced with no chill filtering and no added color. That gets the Whisky Zone thumbs up from me.
Visuals:
That natural color is like a light amber honey, maybe a light mahogany.
And the legs inside the glass are kind of thick with some healthy speed moving southward.
Nose:
In a not-so-surprising note, I get sweet sherry, right off the bat. That’s followed by Bazooka Joe bubble gum. For anyone not familiar with the brand, it was a very popular chewing gum available when I was a kid growing up. Not even sure if it’s still around. Then unnamed cola, maybe cherry cola. I also pick up a very nice fruit smell. It’s a nameless fruit smell, but fruity. There’s some bourbon-soaked raisins. And movie theater popcorn slathered in butter.
Palate:
A big burst of cinnamon is what hit my palate first thing. Considering its time in Oloroso, it seems natural that I would pick up the sherry notes on my tongue. As I progressed with additional sips, I got fruit flavors and it felt chewey in my mouth. Not sure exactly how to quantify that, but it was a good mouth feel. Then there was a wheat-y taste, almost rice-like. It’s a very rich tasting whisky. There was the sensation of cloves marinated in honey. And then cherry cough syrup.
Even though 59.3 is a pretty high ABV, the natural flavors here are singing all on their own so I proceeded without the addition of water.
Finish:
The finish is moderate in length, but flavorful and familiar. Grape bubble gum, orange rinds, prunes, and peanut brittle candy (without the peanuts).
Rating:
I need to start by saying that this review was already underway before I visited the distillery and meeting Francis Cuthbert, as pleasurable as it was, had absolutely no influence on how I judged this whisky.
So I’m often one of those people who opens a bottle and has that open bottle sitting on the shelf for a while. With this one, I had to stop myself from emptying it in the first couple of days…because I needed to have something in the bottle to review! I thought it was that good. A tip of the hat to Francis at Daftmill Farms for what he’s putting in whisky bottles. Even though he can only go into production twice a year, it’s definitely time well spent. My advice: seek out this powerhouse little distillery. I’m giving the 2011 Daftmill 13 year old Royal Mile Whiskies collaboration a 10 finger pour.
Age Statement: 13 years
ABV: 59.3 %
Chill-filtered: no
E150a caramel coloring added: no
Average Price (700ml): £160 (UK)
https://www.royalmilewhiskies.com/daftmill-2011-13-year-old-sherry-cask-rmw-exclusive-96-59-3-70cl/
