ctbeck11
Dalmore 12 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
January 18, 2022 (edited January 26, 2022)
Nose - fig, date, mint, sawdust, honey, cocoa, walnut, brown sugar, apple, light sulphur, nutmeg, butterscotch, vanilla, orange, mild to moderate ethanol burn.
Taste - apricot, fig, grape, pecan, orange, bitter herbal notes, cinnamon, sour apple, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with sour dark fruit, baking spice, and bitter herbal flavors.
I tried the Dalmore 15 Year in one of my early reviews and remember liking it well enough, although I may have a different opinion these days. This 12 Year release is bottled at an anemic 40% ABV like its older sibling.
The nose is pretty good. The dark, dried fruits are front and center. There’s some apple, cocoa, and a buttery nuttiness as well. The palate takes an unfortunate turn. There’s a bland, cloying sweetness to the whole experience. The fruit and wood become sour and bitter. The mouthfeel is watery and the finish is short and rather unpleasant.
This is average for me. And the low proof isn’t doing it any favors. All the nice dark fruitiness on the nose turns thin, bright, and youthful. The mouthfeel is really bad. There’s a sickening quality to it that fortunately doesn’t last long after each sip is finished. At $70 a bottle near me, I’m not a buyer. Many thanks for @ContemplativeFox for the generous sample!
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@ContemplativeFox is that how much it is??!! I mean…who do they think they are…Macallan? ;-)
@PBMichiganWolverine I'm certainly not dropping $1200 to try their 25 YO to confirm, especially given the quality of what I've tried from them. I did pick up a 22 YO IB a while back for somewhere under $200, so I'll cross my fingers that it's close enough to 25 years and a good bottle.
@PBMichiganWolverine - Or from that era! Like a fossil preserved in amber. I wonder if it is more about pre-2000 distillate. I had a really good Jura Superstition around 15 years ago.
@ContemplativeFox they actually seem to shine at the unaffordable 25yr + range. I guess they better for that much money.
@angstrom Jura is a strange little distillery. I can’t seem to find any distillery bottlings that I’ve liked, but the IBs seem to have good bottlings. Not sure how an IB can pick a cask better than the distiller
@angstrom I’m sure there are some differing opinions on the bottle design as well, but I kinda like it. Would feel right at home in a cozy cabin or hunting lodge.
@Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington At 40%, this tasted like it was watered down more than enough. No need to add anymore.
@PBMichiganWolverine Richard has made Dalmore and Jura undrinkable for me. Although, based on the reviews maybe Jura is just undrinkable on its own merits.
@ctbeck11 - Yeah, this one falls short of its potential. But the bottle is cool, worthy of a $100 whisky.
@ctbeck11 @ContemplativeFox kind of like pissing in the ocean
@PBMichiganWolverine Wow, not even water is allowed? I guess of it's Dalmore though it's already 60% water anyway.
@PBMichiganWolverine No one sitting at home has unfettered access to the full Dalmore portfolio like he does. Though to be fair, it wouldn’t surprise me if someone decided that throwing their Dalmore across the room was the appropriate response to a pour.
@ctbeck11 LOL! I was once in a virtual zoom tasting where he was the key guest. He suggested we all throw the initial contents across, and much to his surprise, no one sitting at home did that. He also then stated that he’d whip anyone that puts ice or water into their single malt.
@PBMichiganWolverine Wow that was cringey on multiple levels. Personally, I always throw the initial contents of my nosing glass across the room before pouring a second to drink. My wife hates it, but there are strict procedures that mustn’t be overlooked.
@ctbeck11 I’d dock a point just b/c of Richard Paterson. Check out his Dalmore interview on YouTube with Sophie Liu ( canadian news host ). He’s in a seafarer captain uniform and borderline creepy
@cascode Would love to try the 18. Unfortunately it’s $220 near me. Won’t spend that on a bottle, but maybe I can find a sample of it somewhere.
@Ctrexman @Jose-Massu-Espinel I can see the appeal. Biggest issue is the proof for me. The nose was pretty good, but everything fell apart on the palate.
i love this. this made me a whisky lover.
Yeah its a too pricey for a 12 yr but I still enjoyed it . Like you I would not repurchase
Poor old Dalmore, it gets a lot of flack for the low proof and sherry-bomb profile (and for its association with “The Nose”). Some Youtube influencers really have it in for the distillery but it’s an over-reaction in my opinion. The low abv is a marketing decision that I can understand, annoying as it is. Dalmore 18 is where the spirit really hits the right notes - higher abv and a good cask choice without the over complicated approach of the NAS monsters like Cigar Malt and King Alexander (which have never much appealed to me). At the price it’s pretty good value for a well matured 18 year old, way better value than the 12 or 15, neither of which ever seem to get off the ground.
@jonwilkinson7309 Yep. One of the reasons I haven’t reviewed many of them. I suspect the higher end ones are pretty good, but I won’t be buying a bottle to confirm that.
@ContemplativeFox Thanks! Yea they need to get the memo that 43% is the new 40% :)
I have yet to try this, and I suspect I'd have a similar reaction due to the proof. Also, the price points on Dalmore have always struck my as a bit on the high side, particularly if you're not a fan of the antler bottles.
The proof of this one is inexcusable. I personally like the overall flavor profile but I have to agree with you that the flavors are muddled. Great review!