I think the Dalmore Distillery is the most profiled and recognized in the Whyte & Mackay range. With their 70-something year old bottlings off and on being the worlds oldest whisky with some Gordon & Macphail bottlings alternating the position once in a while. Younger Dalmores aren't that much talked about, and I think this is my first real Dalmore vertical. The first distillery purchased by W&M, the one that started it all...
Dalmore 15yo 40% OB
Dark color, somewhere between pink soda and brown/orange. If this color is not tampered with by E's I'm impressed. It smells fresh, kiln fire, grassy, hops, wheat, fresh, dry martini and melon. The taste is nutty, sweet and sherried, I'm sure there are some older sherried ones in this mix. It strikes me as a whisky that would take water well. With additional water it opens up, becomes more floral, honeyed, sweet spices, pineapple and pecan nuts. The finish is drying and tannic, reminds me a bit of some dry port wine.
A well made sherried whisky that I think would benefit from a higher strength: 6.5
Dalmore 30yo 1966-1996 53.7% The Bottlers cask#6870
Whiskies distilled in the 60's are become increasingly rarer, I remember just a few years back, if roaming for older whiskies there would be plenty 60's material to reasonable prices in most online auctions and such. At twice the age and a higher strength than last whisky, this should be intereseting. And my little to no experience with The Bottlers makes me even more excited. It smells fresh once again, pine and nuts, needs some time to open up. Given time it goes on to more vegetal notes, onions, vegetal broth, boiled broccoli, earthy, brussels sprouts. The taste is amazingly sweet and dry, caramel, honey, lime juice, plum spirit, club soda, ginger, white rum. The aftertaste is long, peppery and bitter.
A very good expression that require both time and patience: 7
Dalmore 14yo 1996-2010 55.5% Master of Malt
The only "recent" bottling in this round, bottled for the online shop Master of Malt, which does have quite some bottlings up their sleeves. Seems the IB business is blooming these days. White wine color, one of those natural much refilled bourbon casks? It smells wool, blood, iron, slaughterhouse. The taste is peppery and vanilla, very easy and one-dimensional. A good one for sure, but hardly expressive. Kind of a misfit in this rather "fresh" session. Maybe the style of Dalmore has changed in more recent time.
A powerful but non-complex whisky: 5.5
Dalmore 20yo 1978-1999 56.6% Signatory Vintage cask#10133 btl.299/1250
One from a sherry butt. Golden orange hue. Smells rich, creamy, sherried, toffee, honey, cinnamon, blood oranges, grapefruit, dark grapes, red wine balsamic, much richer and fuller than the other ones in this session. The taste is rich, sherried, almonds, honey, cigars, smoky, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, peppery, very different from the previous Dalmores I've tasted, period. The spirit seems to have lost some of its nuances, freshness, nutty flavors, yet the cask does such an amazing job here. A real sherry bomb, for the ones that enjoy sherry apart from the sweet oloroso style. I'd say this is more like the dry side of amoroso. And it's so thick and rich as well. If to ever have a favorite Dalmore (without tasting the latest 70+something with R. Paterson nearby) I guess this would be it for me. Something special.
It's all on the nose and palate in this one, the finish is rather standard: 8
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