Jose-Massu-Espinel
Dalmore 45 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
June 14, 2024 (edited June 22, 2024)
Ladies and Gentlemen, i got my hands on a 45yo whisky. But it is not any common single malt, it is one epic super rare one. A dram most people can only dream to get some day, and i am so grateful to have tasted it: a Dalmore 45yo Port Colheita.
This 40%abv very old single malt, has been matured inniatially in an ex bourbon Cask, then transferred to a Cabernet Sauvignon Barrique; then it was returned to the bourbon cask. A fourth maturation was done in a 20yo tawny port pipe, to be finished in Port Colheita casks from 1961 andn1963. Quite a journey.
On the nose, it is fantastic. Red fruits, super winey; hazelnut, maraschino cherry syrup; very perfumed. Nutella. The Hazelnut note here is uncanny. Very sweet on the nose, the cherries drive the car. Syrup y cinnamon.
Magnificent. Smells spectacular after a first sip. Watermelon, papaya. Chantilly cream. Tree tomato and Mango. It is like a hazelnut milka chocolate.
The Palate is very winey. Watermelon. Fresh farm fruits. Papaya. Mango. It doesnt feel like a Dalmore. Chocolate bathed cherries. After a couple of sips, chocolate with crushed almonds appeared. It is a liquid cherry.
Aftertaste has a crushed almonds, full chocolate, dry, ginger profile. Gooseberries, cherries, very elegant spiciness. Toblerone. Hanenuss chocolate. After the first sip a little sulphur and metallic. Long clove, grassy finish.
Overall, this is an incredibly elegant single malt, which is perfect in every sense, but also one that i wouldn't pay 17k euros for. Don't get me wrong, i wouldn't pay 17k for any whisky because of two reasons: 1.- i don't have the money; 2.- i don't believe in spending THAT kind of money on a whisky, even if this is my life's hobby. Having said that, this is a very fruity and spicy dram, that doesn't resemble to any other Dalmore out there, and i wouldn't guess it comes from this distillery if given on a blind taste. Nevertheless, it was absolute perfect in the nose, palate and aftertaste to obtain a well deserved 100 points in my books. Sláinte!
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@soonershrink Given its age we're lucky they had enough of this at minimum strength to make an expression possible at all! I bet that is part of the reason for the complex re-casking involved.
Glad it was good, but it's criminal that they bottled this at 40%.