ContemplativeFox
Dalmore 12 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
September 2, 2021 (edited October 27, 2021)
Rating: 15/23
N: Malty and sweet with some sort of dried fruit in the red to black range (figs?) blending into the maltiness. I get a hint of youth, but not much actually. Theres some spiciness with sort of a dry woodiness.
P: Disappointingly watery. It has some nice fruity sweetness that blends into the slightly youthful malt. There's some vanilla and spicy wood to go along with that. There's almost a flavor of white cake here. The balance here is terrific, but the flavor is kind of flat and weak, as well as a tad youthful. I bet that this would have a lot more definition and be a lot better at around 45% ABV.
It has a nice balance of bourbon and sweet sherry character to it though. This is in a way the most approachable scotch out there. It really needs to be bottled at a higher proof though.
This doesn't fare well side by side with high quality scotch, but it does taste pretty nice after taking a break from scotch for a while.
F: Heat from the spice mixes with a slightly more bitter version of the vanilla, a little bit of mellow wood, and some kind of youthful maltiness.
- Conclusion -
I don't remember the exact circumstances of my initial tasting, but I wasn't able to do a side-by-side with it and anything else, and it had also been a while since I'd had another scotch, so I always knew that I might have overrated it. I'm disappointed to confirm that worry correct.
This is just too weak and boring. It's a great example of a typical, approachable scotch, but it's not great. This is about on the level of Old Pulteney 12 (14) and Aberlour 12 (14). The Old Pulteney is funkier and the Aberlour is fuller, but this has better complexity and just...quintessential scotch character...with its balance of bourbon and sherry characters, along with some lightly malty but not offensive base flavor. I'd take this over the Old Pulteney, but Loch Lomond 12 is better than this by what seems like a more substantial margin.
I think that puts this in the 14 to 15 range. I think that considering that the Old Pulteney and Loch Lomond are high for their ratings, this lands in the 15 bucket. As another check, this is better than Pure Scot Virgin Oak (14), but not as good as Mortlach 15 Six Kingdoms (16), so about a 15 makes sense.
This is certainly better than Highland Park 12 (12), but I wouldn't shell out the money for this considering that there are very competitive alternatives at lower prices. I'll keep my bottle around to share with any whisky novices who wander in though.
Coming off of a wine and beer phase, my palate is fresher than usual and I can better understand why I originally gave this a 17. That said, it is in no way a 17 now. I could imagine boosting it up to a 16, but I can also imagine going down to a 14. A 15 it is.
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@Skymecca it sounds like I’ve got some homework and a bit of shopping to do! The fruit bomb style just doesn’t do it for me so I’ll be on the lookout for your suggestions.
@Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington I particularly enjoy California producers that utilize a more traditional French bordeaux style. Something like Ridge Montebello, Jordan, more recent Inglenook - the flag bearer in the extreme range here would be Opus One. These are bordeaux blends with slightly lower alcohol and focus on balance, earth and aging instead of raging fruit bombs which are more in style. I also like Pinots on the more aggressive side from places like Pisoni, Rochioli and Roar, and lighter Russian River Pinots like Williams Selyem. I also like a good Zinfandel for value such as Turley. I'm a fan of a lot of second growth Bordeaux or the "second wines" of big producers like La Mission Haut Brion or Leoville Las Cases. I don't drink as much value red any more as I'd rather focus resources on wines that I find exceptional.
@ContemplativeFox earthy with sweet tobacco is my thing at the moment. Negroamaro from southern Italy beats out Montepulciano for me. Rioja Reservas can be a bit hit or miss but typically are interesting enough. Troublemaker blend out of Paso Robles is my go-to sub $20 “interesting” red. As far as white goes I’m a fan of virtually any Sauvignon Blanc out of Marlborough. Bourbon cask use is hot or miss for me but 1000 Stories Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel works for me.
@Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington I'm looking to expand my wine knowledge too :) I've had some very good wines from the classic french regions, but none that was cheap. I've found Paso Robles, Sonoma, and Portugal to have good value options, with Italy, Australia, and Spain being up there too. I think I've had more Central Italian wines than Southern, but I had a particularly good sangiovese from southern Italy a while back. What are your favorite varietals or styles?
@Skymecca @ContemplativeFox I will have to pick your brains more about the wine world. Literally being a world wide series of iterations of grapes and styles makes my head spin. Thus far southern Italian and Rioja reds have outpaced Rone, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Napa. Sub $20 California and Australian blends have come nearly as close though.
@Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington I'm right there with you. I do appreciate some single vineyards, but I think my highest rated wine is only a 19 and per volume of alcohol it's quite expensive to buy good wine in comparison with most spirits. Needing to finish a whole bottle in just a few days is what really gets me. Sure note on the topic of good wine being expensive though: I've found a fair number of cheap (~$15) bottles that get a lot better with air! I'm a fan of a good aerator :)
@Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington I came from the wine world, and trust me there is (or at least was) absolutely no premium attached to single vineyards even 5 years ago, and no one in their right mind disparages wine blends to this day. A Bordeaux style blend is still the benchmark for top tier quality in red wine, in France or elsewhere. It is fun to see the concepts from other fermentation styles bleed into each other which is what you see with the new focus on single vineyards obviously taken from single malt or single barrel, but blending in wine is rightfully viewed as a skillful art instead of how to mix cheaper crap together like it can be in scotch.
I’ve been on a bit of a wine kick too. Trouble with wine is the commitment to finishing a bottle. That and the fact that I’ve yet to be blown away by a wine and am a bit ashamed to admit I appreciate the complexity of blends over single vineyard.