Dalmore 1999 15 Year (Alexander Murray & Co.)

Tonight's review is of the Alexander Murray-bottled Dalmore 15. I have quite a few bottles produced by Alexander Murray and am glad to finally be reviewing one I enjoy! This was one of my favorites when I picked it up, so I'm enjoying considering how it's changed over time. This is bottled at bottled at 55.6% ABV and I don't believe it's chill filtered or colored. Purchased for $59.99 at Costco, which is an incredible bargain compared to what a cask strength Dalmore would regularely cost (if they even exist!). My detailed thoughts and rating below: ⠀ ⠀ 🥃 Dalmore 15 Year - Alexander Murray 1999 - 55.6% ABV ⠀ Nose: Complex fruity and malty nose. Sweet pear jam and dusty old graham crackers. Brown sugar. Flowers. Butter. Raisins and wine. There's some heat noticeable. ⠀ Taste: Graham crackers and butter. Black pepper, baking spices, and a little jam. Olive oil? Keeping the whisky in my mouth a little while adds more tannins and a tiny bit of brine and sour tang. The texture is nice and oily and the finish is medium-long, although a little too focused on pepper and heat. Altogether, this is a great whisky! I hear that Dalmore usually colors and filters the hell out of their whisky, so I'm excited to report that this one felt very natural and oily. The overall product could be a little more cohesive and provide a more enjoyable finish. ⠀ Current rating: 89/100

Lightly Burnt sugar, honey, stone fruit, rich and full aroma. Fruit bread, with slight burn from delicious cask strength.

Why doesn’t Richard Paterson release whisky like this? I’m finally able to sample something from Dalmore distillery that isn’t chill filtered and doesn’t have any added color. Independent bottler Alexander Murray released this 15yo single malt at a seriously potent 55.6% ABV. I don’t believe much Dalmore gets out to a lot of IBs, so this sample from my buddy @dubz480, from Arizona, is a rare treat for me. I also believe he got this bottle for around $60, which is shocking. It’s primarily from refilled, ex-bourbon casks and refilled sherry butts. This is a new penny, copper in color and it’s very oily. Very thin legs and lots of tiny beads indicate the higher alcohol percentage. The nose begins with faint sherry cask notes,bubblegum and raspberry smoothie. There’s a nice backbone of brown sugar and apple pie crust- maybe graham crackers. The palate is fruity and spicy all at the same time. Orange marmalade, Sunkist raisins (yes, with that slightly processed flavor) and caramel. The heat and power of the ABV send pepper spice barrel wood rushing in if you let it settle across the tongue. By mid sip it’s blazing in every corner of your mouth. It needs water, but I’m too old and stubborn to give in. The finish is long and very drying. Once the burn subsides, or you flush it away with water, you’re still greeted with orange and toffee notes. This whisky left me pondering whether I think Dalmore should start beefing up their distillery releases like this, or should I just accept and dial down my expectations for the core stuff. I have a soft spot for Dalmore that I can’t always explain and this release really shows what’s coming out of the casks BEFORE Mr Paterson gets to tinkering with them. I like this presentation, albeit it’s definitely too hot at this potency, but I’d be thrilled to spend the day just introducing water to it slowly to find that perfect spot. IMO every Dalmore official release needs more power behind it, but there’s got to be a better spot than what most of the distillery releases offer at 40-44%. However, this one was a really treat for me. Thanks again, Wail. 4.25 stars as it comes in the bottle, but I think a little experimentation could see that score surely rise. Cheers.

Nose: butter, graham cracker, pear, alcohol, Taste: brown sugar, oak, barley, sweet apple juice, slightly astringent, alcohol heat

Loving this whiskey. Strong brown sugar notes with subtle baking spices. Wonderful Graham cracker on the nose. Nice lingering finish of dinner rolls and honey. Incredibly smooth for the proof. I give it an easy 96/100.