Two Dalwhinnie, vintage vs. NAS


May 23, 2025

Two Dalwhinnie, vintage vs. NAS

Not the most useful of sessions, I’m afraid, especially as it will feature two ‘finished’ versions, but we’re rather fond of Dalwhinnie. In fact, we warmly recommend the ‘chocolate + whisky’ tastings they organise at the distillery.

Dalwhinnie's 'Whisky & Chocolate
Tasting Experience' (Diageo)

One mustn’t forget either the crucial role Dalwhinnie played in educating budding malt enthusiasts, being one of the key players in the early days of the very, very – and I mean very – seminal ‘Classic Malts of Scotland’. I say they should restart the consumer club too and resend their lovely, very educational printed newsletters, especially since there's a significant revival in the popularity of print magazines. And remember that it is largely paper that helps maintain (you can see just how important this is) and replant forests, as well as store much more carbon as long as it is recycled. But we digress once again...

Dalwhinnie 2004/2019 'Distiller's Edition' (43%, OB, D.SA.313)

Finished in ‘oloroso-seasoned casks’. One appreciates Diageo’s honesty in not trying to make you believe, by omission, that these are genuine oloroso casks from authentic bodegas. Others could take note, we think. Colour: gold. Nose: lovely, soft, chocolatey indeed, malty, with hints of stout, roasted nuts, and caramelised apples. There’s a certain freshness. Mouth: it’s good, showing walnut wine and coffee, then orange marmalade before moving further into toasted malt, Ovaltine, and praline. To be honest, I find it superb, especially with the malty side so much to the fore. Finish: not immensely long, but still beautifully malty. A dry aftertaste of earth, nuts, and oloroso, with a very faint touch of wood smoke. Comments: there you have it. Perhaps the best of the Distiller’s Editions when compared to their non-finished counterparts (think recent Lagavulin DE vs. Lagavulin 16).
SGP:551 - 85 points.

Dalwhinnie 'Distiller's Edition' (43%, OB, 2022)

Adieu to vintages and thus to age statements. Remember, NAS doesn’t mean there’s no age, it means the age is concealed. Every whisky has an age. One imagines that in this case, the age has been reduced. Colour: gold. Nose: it does indeed feel younger, more straightforwardly fruity, with less pronounced oloroso influence, and a slightly more herbal and yeasty edge. Frankly, it’s still rather good, but definitely simpler. Mouth: closer to the 2004/2019 edition, but a bit rougher and less complex. There’s less development, with a touch more toffee, less toasted malt, Ovaltine, and the like. Finish: leaning more towards coffee, though the nuts remain present. No surprise to find a hint of Guinness here too, I’d imagine. Comments: the differences are quite notable when comparing the two versions, though it’s doubtful they’d stand out as much if tasted only days or weeks apart.
SGP:551 - 83 points.

Check the index of all Dalwhinnie we've tasted so far

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