I am a huge Dalmore fan. Not only that, Dalmore 12yo was my first single malt, and it completely blew my mind the first time i had it, and it was my starting point to the world of whiskies. Having said that, i had heard good things about this new and limited released, which is basically different from the standard 12yo since this expression has been finished in a bespoke cask seasoned with oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry.
Bottled at a higher strength than the normal 12yo, at 43%abv, chesnut color.
On the nose, it starts completely different from any other Dalmore. Chocolate, oranges, and a super GINGER BOMB!; dehydrated oranges, cinnamon, hazelnut, raisins. Very herbal, prunes, milk chocolate. After a first sip, the aroma changed into a more normal Dalmore. Dates, figs, milk powder and sherry.
On the palate, it was also not what i expected at the beggining, but after a couple sips it showed me the traditional profile from this distillery. Red wine, liquorice, brandy. The second sip gave me red fruits, strawberries, vanilla and a nice spiciness.
Aftertaste gave me the same experience, that the first impression was different from other expressions of this distillery, to then give you exactly what you expected. Liquorice, brandy, church wine. After a couple of sips it gave me ginger, cinnamon, chocolate and an impressive coffee bean note.
Overall, this one felt unbalanced. The first impression on the nose, palate and aftertaste was totally different from the following sips and it just didn't felt like a Dalmore. I was not impressed, and i can tell you i like the classic 12yo better. It is not a bad dram at all, but have you ever tasted something thinking it is something else, and then when you actually taste it you feel dissapointed because of the deception? That was my feeling here. My score for it is an 85 over 100.