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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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March 12, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today Dalmore and some red wine
To be honest, what we always look for first and foremost in Dalmore are the magnificent notes of orange that usually refresh the palate from the initial taste to the tail of the finish. Sometimes, these notes linger even when the sherry or other wine cask influence is very pronounced, even completely dominant. That said, Dalmore generally uses quality casks, which certainly helps when you’re following or have followed a hyper-premiumisation strategy. Besides, I find whisky enthusiasts/geeks/experts a bit too harsh on Dalmore in general, but let’s move on... |
Mary Queen of Scots
(Kelvingrove Art Gallery
and Museum, Glasgow) |
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Dalmore ‘Cigar Malt Reserve’ (44%, OB, +/-2024) 
A NAS version matured in old Matusalem sherry casks (naturally old ,with a name like that) at 70%, plus 20% bourbon and 10% cabernet sauvignon, the latter supposedly not causing any particular issues at this dosage. We last tasted this expression back in 2012, though at the time, it apparently didn’t feature any cabernet sauvignon according to the brand’s website (back then). Colour: apricot. Nose: rather lovely, led by praline and maple syrup at first, before the raisins barge in and take over, though with a certain elegance. Heaps of Jaffa cakes, a touch of menthol and a hint of wood smoke round things off. Not bad at all, even without a cigar. Mouth: a leathery side, young bark, and quite a dominant green walnut note, followed by very dry raisins, then chocolate and pepper. Some orange marmalade shows up as well, along with a sweet-and-salty touch. Finish: fairly long but distinctly more bitter. Aubergines, bell peppers, and those green walnuts lingering on. Comments: I found it so-so thirteen years ago, but today this new version feels quite pleasant, despite the bitterness in the finish. Blame the cabernet?
SGP:561 - 84 points. |
One day on a boat (don’t ask), Master Richard Paterson explained to me where the name ‘marmalade’ supposedly came from. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland and France, felt unwell while eating jam, and her entourage exclaimed in French: ‘Marie est malade!’ (Mary is sick!). To anglophone ears, ‘Marie est malade’ sounded like ‘marmalade’. However, after some fact-checking, it seems this story is somewhat debatable, dear Richard, but let’s move on—it’s still a charming tale... |
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Dalmore 12 yo 2012/2024 (55.8%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, butt + Barolo finish, cask #3577, 304 bottles)
Holy Mary, some Nebbiolo from Barolo! I do love Barolo, but I’ve witnessed some proper clashes between Barolo and whisky before, and let’s be honest, the combo can sometimes feel ‘Hawaiian pizza’. Colour: onion peel. Nose: heavily marked by the bold Italian wine, though without any real clash. Hints of rose petals, boiled sweets, and canned lychees, almost like a short-macerated gewürztraminer. Then come peonies, sultanas, and the blood oranges I promised earlier, followed by a clear ‘winery’ note. With water: much the same. Mouth (neat): mirrors the nose, with ultra-pronounced vinosity and a punch of black pepper. With water: blackberry and raspberry liqueurs, plums, plus marmalade and a hefty dose of pepper and liquorice. Finish: long, with even more pepper, liquorice, and prunes. A return of violets in the aftertaste. Comments: Berry Bros. are legendary wine merchants, so naturally, they can spell ‘Barolo’ properly, unlike some of their whisky-only peers. No, I won’t name names.
SGP:661 - 84 points. |
To be honest, we still don’t really know what to make of this recent invasion of whisky by red wine. Nor of ‘Doritos’ strategies in general... |
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