Singleton; three Diageo distilleries produce a variant of Singleton; Dufftown, Glen Ord and Glendullan. The latest Glendullan bottles include 12, 15 and 18 year old models. There are also the Reserve Collection at duty free. Dufftown also offer the 12, 15 and 18 Year olds, how different they are from the Glendullan, you will need to decide yourself. There is also the Malt Master bottle. Then we arrive at Glen Ord, between the three they get rid of six million bottles a year! Guess what? Ord has 12, 15 and 18 year old! Ord is the best sold of the three, Diageo have a quest, to sell 12 million bottles per year, only 3 others have achieved this; Glenfiddich, Glenlivet and Macallan.
The Singleton Glendullan is a uniquely versatile single malt with an equally rich history. In Dufftown, Scotland we say “Rome was built on seven hills and Dufftown stands on seven stills.” Glendullan sits on the bank of the River Dullen amongst the picturesque Convall Hills. Glendullan is founded by William Williams & Sons Ltd., blenders from Aberdeen, and is the last of seven distilleries to be built in Dufftown. It shares a private railway siding with nearby Mortlach and all the machinery is driven by an overshot water wheel powered by water from the River Fiddich, not the River Dullan by the way.
The Singleton Glen Ord, founded by Thomas Mackenzie in the Black Isle – a peninsula of rich, dark loam which is perfect for growing barley. Immediately after construction Thomas Mackenzie licenses the distillery to the Ord Distillery Co., set up by D. McLennan and Robert Johnston.
Dufftown Distillery, built in 1895 in an old mill, originally named Dufftown-Glenlivet. These days a fish ladder has been built to help trout move upstream on the River Dullan. For more information on all three distilleries I can recommend The Malt Whisky Yearbook, by my friend Ingvar Ronde.
These three distilleries all market themselves to different parts of the world, is there a difference in taste? Well, to be honest I have not tried them all, there are many in the family, too many to try and be honest about them. Diageo must know what they are doing, is this the only brand that has three families? I have asked many experts and friends in the industry, so many people, many different views and answers. I leave it up to you, do you have a favourite Singleton? Just one wee blether afore I go, the name Singleton (a single item), why then does it have THREE different sources? PAUL MCLEAN, PERTH 2021