Dalmore Port Wood Reserve

Nose: Red Raspberry, Raisin, cinnamon, toffee, plum. Palate: Fresh berries, toffee, raisin, initial fruit fades to coffee and dark chocolate. Finish: Short but smooth. Slight dark chocolate bitterness. Wine dryness with port influence on the finish.

This Dalmore is my 2nd favorite out of the 12-15-Portwood trio. 12 is my fav fyi. Nose is very sweet with fresh dark fruits like plums,cherry and some other kind of berries, not like the dried fruit notes in the 12 and in other sherry cask matured whiskies. This very common among the port wine cask matured bottles as i have noticed, they are more fresh juicy fruity, and not oily kinda dry and buttery fruity as opposed to sherried bottles. There is also a little bit of coffe whiff in there, not always but sometimes, its more present in the finish, and some vanilla and caramel gets on top occasioanally. Water bring out a lot more of that caramel. The palate is everything the nose promises with a little added citrus zestiness, you can absolutely feel more heat because of the higher 46,5% abv. Water bring it alive some earthy roasty flavors emerge The finish more coffe but gentle and sour orangey or grapefruity. But like the aftertaste of the grapefruit in your mouth when the juices already passed. Conclusion is that i like this bottle very much, still dont like it more than the 12, but i gotta say im a little bit biases about the 12. Next stop is the 18 which has the same maturation of the 12 but longer.