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| I would draw your attention to the colour of the middle glasses, except it is tainted with flipping caramel! |
Dalwhinnie d.1970 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, b. late 1980s): I do not often have Dalwhinnie and even more rarely do I have one that is not a core-range OB. An independent bottling is quite the rarity, these days. Nose: all-bran cereals, sultanas, Christmas cake (topical, is it not?), cinnamon and, at last, some dust. Ginger bread, comes out after that, alongside rotting apples. Cereal dust is seemingly the last thing to emerge, though after an hour or so, beef stock becomes very obvious, with flat cola -- a sherry cask it was, then. Mouth: fresh, citrus-y (lemon) and clean. Washing up liquid. Not much else. It is ever-so-slightly metallic, maybe. Finish: wow! This starts citrus-y, then quickly moves towards more chewy tastes -- cured meat, leather, beef stock, oxtail soup; all very pleasant and never overboard. I cannot say this is legendary, but it is honest enough! 7/10
The Dalmore 30yo d.1973 (42%, OB, Gonzalez Byass Matusalem Sherry Finish): nose: this is not Christmas cake anymore, but black bun! Sultanas, Corinth and Smyrna raisins, dried orange and lemon rinds, prunes, dried apricots, marzipan -- there is a full crumble in the black bun! Crushed almond in the back. Mouth: apple juice, cider, as well as more dried fruit (figs, prunes) and a slightly drying touch. Ginger bread and juicy sultanas. Finish: complexity! Dried apples, baked apples, stewed prunes, plums in syrup and reminiscence of the nose: sultanas, dried orange rinds (including the slight acidity), cola, cough syrup. This one went from plain apple juice (ten years ago) to something more complex and delicious. Extraordinary dram. A masterclass in richness, balance and control. 9/10
Dailuaine 22yo d.1973 (61.80%, OB Rare Malts Selection): nose: nail-varnish remover, citrus-scented detergent, then strangely, marzipan cake. A bit of air underlines scents of bonded warehouse, with clay floors and lichen growing on each cask. Buttery croissants come out too. Water makes it gristy. Mouth: a lot hotter, of course (no shit, Sherlock!) Zesty, acidic and astringent. This would strip the limescale off any sink. Hints of milky chocolate and pine sap. With water, chocolate pudding appears, with a twist of the pink-pepper mill. Finish: vanilla is at the forefront, with resinous sap and butterscotch goodness. That is seemingly incompatible with the lemony texture, but it works. Pine planks become prominent, after a while. With water, milk chocolate, augmented with flower juice. Good dram, though a bit hot, neat. 7/10
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