Dalmore 18 Year

Very smooth but not much character

Sherry sweet, vanilla, nuts, bitter oak. 4 is just enough.

Nose is very citrus forward. Sweeter, with Sherry and bourbon. I could drink a lot of this

Chocolate covered oranges, fruity, rich. Slightly tannic, like high sulfite red wine. I like Dalmore, but a slight bitter finish leaves it from really being a top 5 star player. It’s like a NBA Star that excels at everything but bricks the free throw (Shaq?). I know I’m being picky, but It’s a premium malt...so expectations are high. Excellent whisky, but just a tad short from greatness. Thanks @LeeEvolved for the pour !

Continuing the early bonus samples for this round of the Scottish Distillery Tour, which officially enters round 6 three days from today. Dalmore 18 was provided by Lee after he selected it to be a celebratory bottle for his birthday last month and he graciously decided to share it with the group. This Highland single malt is bottled at 43% ABV and like all standard Dalmore’s, it is chill filtered and heavily colored. I must say the color is a fabulous dark mahogany. Right off the bat the nose presents itself as well matured, rich and wonderful. Oak and spices, beautiful sherry, rich chocolate and mixed nuts. Raisins, brown sugar, honeyed dates and thick maple syrup. Dark and flavorful oranges, pears dusted with cinnamon and a nice pecan pie. For the first ounce I let the nose rest a good 15-20 minutes, but the second pour I went right in. Powdered ginger and an unexpected candied bacon note greeted me. I could nose this all day. The palate was not quite as impressive, but in no way was it bad. Sherry and light oak. Raisins, chocolate, toffee, maple syrup and a light coffee. Wood spice, light oranges and tangerines. Nutty, baking spices and more oak, toasted oak. Luxury in a glass. The mouthfeel went through some changes as the dram went. At first it was quite thin and watery. Subsequent sips revealed a nice medium body with an increasingly oily texture and it became mouthwatering. The finish is medium long. Sherry, raisins, syrup and dry. A hint of oak tannins but not bad and really to be expected at 18 years of age. I both wanted to love this one and hate it at the same time, much like my attitude towards Macallan. It’s good, no, it’s great, and they know it’s great and I hate that about Dalmore, and Macallan. Yes there are some expressions, maybe more than there should be, out there that are subpar, but you have to give credit where credit is due. This 18 deserves praise. I can’t say the price is justified, but it’s close. I believe I can get a 1L bottle at duty free for about $180. I don’t think that’s too bad, but anything more I would say no. Now, you dump the colorant, nix the chill filtration and bump the ABV to 46%...watch out because that would fly off of the shelves. Still, I’m giving this a 4.5 and I would say that on a good night this could contend with Macallan’s Rare Cask. Many thanks for the sample @LeeEvolved, it was thoroughly enjoyed. Cheers

1450