Dalmore 15 Year

I received a sample in a gift set and was very eager to try it. Perhaps my expectations were set a bit too high, or maybe it is an off night, but I was a little disappointed. Don't misunderstand me; the dram was not bad, and was in fact somewhat enjoyable, but for me it fell a bit flat, especially given the $99 price tag locally for 750 mL. The nose was very pleasant, with notes of candied pecans, brown sugar, and trail mix fruits. Later, as it sat, notes of wine, like a good merlot, could be found. The palate was not particularly sweet, but had a nuttiness foretold by the aroma. The finish was short, dry, and a tad hot for a 15 year at a moderate ABV. Nothing really lingered on the palate. Dry glass: mixed nuts. Pleasant, and certainly inoffensive, but not interesting enough, in my opinion, to warrant the price tag. For my money, the Balvenie 12-year Double Wood is one example of a similarly drinkable whisky that does much less damage to the pocketbook.

Nice and smooth with a sweet nose and a balanced rich aftertaste. Very enjoyable.

Having finished my bottle of Dalmore 12 year old way back in February of 2016 I feel it's long past due to experience the next step in the Dalmore range. I have every bottle in the yearly Dalmore range: from this 15, the 18, cigar malt, King Alex III to the hefty priced 25 year old. I kept telling myself I'd open them all side-by-side one day and just do a Dalmore tasting. I realize now that is crazy, so I'll just start from the bottom and work my way up. Eventually. The 15 year old is their 12 year old ex-bourbon barrel juice thats finished in 3 different sherry casks for the final 3 years, then blended and bottled at the usual 80 proof. I paid around $110 for this 750ml back in March at my local liquor store. A little searching and I see you can find this bottle online now for around $75-85. Dammit. It's a deep, dark copper in the glass and giving it a swirl makes it cling to the sides while not producing many legs at all. A bit oily. The nose is a robust blast of chocolate covered oranges and cherries and sweet, sweet sherry. Most of the oak and vanilla notes are well hidden, which is a bit of a surprise considering it spent 12 years in ex-bourbon casks. Over time, about 10 minutes now, the zesty oak is peeking through... The first sip reveals more of the chocolate and orange flavors that are nicely balanced with the cinnamon and peppery oak. It feels very rich, but not oily at all. It finishes very smooth with a wash of toffee and malt before warming you up with oak spices. It's a very enjoyable dram. There's enough spices to add another dimension of flavor that's not found in other higher end Sherry-finished whiskies like Macallan and Balvenie. I'm truly looking forward to going deeper into Dalmore's core range if they all have promise like this 15 year old. If you prefer your sherry finished whisky with a bit more of a kick then give this one a go. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Cheers and Happy Holidays, my friends.