Spirit Type: Whisky

Country: Scotland

ABV: 40%

Bottle Size: 70cl

Note: Box Not in Good Condition

Description:

The Dalmore, a high-end whisky distillery in the Scottish Highlands, garnered media attention last year. The Dalmore Decades, five-bottle collectible sets, were first made available and sold at auction for more than $200,000 each (it sold 15 sets total). A new yearly 30-year expression of its single malt was then released, with a suggested retail price of $5,500 per bottle.

These releases are intriguing for collectors and reflect The Dalmore's lengthy history of exploring new frontiers in Scottish single malt production. But let's face it, most of us won't ever have access to those bottles.

On the other hand, the Dalmore 15-year single malt is not a unicorn bottle. It costs $129.95 a bottle and is available at state-run liquor outlets throughout Oregon, the state where I live. You can probably get it in your state as well.

The Dalmore 15 was aged for 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels before being divided into three batches and aged for a further 3 years, concluding in various sherry casks. Three of the batches were completed in Matusalem Oloroso barrels, Apostoles casks, and Amoroso casks. The final release was then created by recombining all batches in an upright sherry butt.

This will send you reeling if you were hoping for a normal Scotch. Red wine, Cherry Coke, sticky caramel candies, and red gummy bears all come to mind when I taste it since it's sweet and fruity. Without a doubt, the sherry is the predominant flavor here.
If you're expecting classic Scotch notes, you might be startled, just like with the nose.

This single malt definitely tastes like red wine and has ginger beer's zest (and sherry). It has the characteristics of a fruit-forward California cabernet: it's round, fruity, and dark. The mild finish reminded me of one of those choc oranges you occasionally find in your stocking during the holidays: Creamy, sweet, and chocolatey with a faint citrus undertone.