NSS - Obscurities & Curiosities - Miltonduff 13 Year - PX Octave

OBSCURITIES & CURIOSITIES MILTONDUFF 13 YEAR OLD, PX SHERRY OCTAVE A USA EXCLUSIVE, HAND-PICKED FROM A FLIGHT OF OCTAVES Region Speyside Distillery Miltonduff Age 13 years ABV 55.6% Cask 1st Fill PX Sherry Octave Outturn 60 bottles Exclusive USA only North Star Spirits filled a handful of 50-liter PX sherry octaves with 2013 Miltonduff and let them sit. When the casks came due, we were in Glasgow and got to taste them side by side and pick to decide on what would leave Scotland. It was the first time The Whiskey Lab has been sat to chose between octaves from the same distillery, same distillation, same finish. Octave casks do more work per liter than standard hogsheads. The wood-to-spirit ratio is higher, the integration is faster, the variation between casks is wider. That last point is the whole story. Four casks that looked identical on paper tasted nothing alike. One was tight and tannic. One was thin. One was promising but not there yet. The fourth was this one. Distilled 2013. Bottled April 2026. Single octave. Cask strength at 55.6%. Non-chill filtered. Natural color. 60 bottles. Available only in the United States through The Whiskey Lab. Distillery profile, Miltonduff Founded in 1824 on the site of the former Pluscarden Abbey meal mill in Speyside, six miles southwest of Elgin. Owned by Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard) since 2005. Miltonduff is one of the quiet workhorses of Speyside, producing malt primarily for Ballantine's blends. Single malt releases from Miltonduff are uncommon, and almost always come through independent bottlers. The house style is clean, fruit-forward, and floral, with a grassy backbone that handles sherry finishes particularly well. A 13-year-old Miltonduff has had enough time to settle into its cask without losing the lightness that makes the distillate interesting. Perfect timing for an active PX octave. Cask profile, 1st Fill PX Sherry Octave An octave is a 50-liter sherry cask, roughly one-eighth the size of a standard butt. The small volume creates an outsized amount of wood contact, which accelerates maturation and amplifies cask character. In a single-malt context, an octave finish or full-term octave maturation can do in a year what a hogshead might take three or four years to achieve. This was a Refill Pedro Ximénez octave, meaning the cask had been used twice before. Why would this be a good choice? A 1st fill octave can have a massive impact on the wood in weeks, going with a refill (or 3rd fill) allows for more time for the spirit to age gracefully in the octave. Octaves have a massive impact in a short amount of time, thus using a refill or 2nd fill can work beautifully with a fine spirit. Pair that intensity with a small cask and 13-year-old Speyside spirit, and you get depth without weight. Fig, date, cocoa, and coffee, but a palate that still moves. Tasting notes Nose Pleasant sweetness of light fruit and sugar. No alcohol scent at all despite the 55.6% ABV, which is the first sign the cask is doing more than its share. Classic rich and dark fruit a PX cask typically gives. Palate Arrives silky and syrupy, coating the tongue with dark-fruit sweetness before the octave's spice takes over. Black raisin, prune, espresso, and a dusting of dark chocolate. The ABV delivers heat without burn, carrying the flavor through waves of sherry richness. Mid-palate shifts into baking spice, clove, and a resinous dark oak that reminds you there's serious wood at work. Finish Long and layered. The sweet fruit fades first, then oak tannin and dark chocolate take over, finishing with a warm, spicy tingle that sits on the back of the palate for a good two minutes. A second sip pulls out more of the coffee and orange peel. This is a dram that rewards slowing down. Specification Details Brand Obscurities & Curiosities (North Star Spirits) Whisky style Single malt Scotch whisky Region Speyside Distillery Miltonduff Age 13 years ABV 55.6% Volume 700 ml Cask 1st Fill PX Sherry Octave Distillation year 2013 Bottling date April 2026 Outturn 60 bottles Market USA exclusive, selected by The Whiskey Lab Cask strength Yes Non-chill filtered Yes Natural colour Yes