Christmas time has come and gone once again, and once again a scotch has been gifted to the lounge. Sadly however it’s not a scotch as it’s been tainted by the wicked evil magic that is sherry. We’ve long been opponents of sherry aged scotches, but the recent trend of finishing in sherry has revived our hopes and can often be enjoyable. That is not the case here.
No here what we get is some Dalmore 12 – ruined. They have a shit ton to say, and all we have is expletives so let’s carry on then.
What they Say: “Bottle: Matured for 12 years in American white oak ex-bourbon casks the character of The Dalmore 15 is achieved by then splitting the whiskey equally between three different sherry woods; Amoroso, Apostoles and Matusalem Oloroso for a further three years. The spirit is finally married together in an upstanding sherry butt, allowing the flavors to infuse.
Box: The Dalmore’s heritage dates back to 1263. It was in this year that an ancestor of the Clan Mackenzie, owners of The Dalmore distillery for over a century, saved King Alexander III from the fury of a charging stag. In recognition of this noble act the grateful King granted the Clan Mackenzie the right to use a 12 point stag, representing a ‘Royal’, in their coat of arms. This striking icon has since adorned each bottle of The Dalmore, symbolizing The Dalmore distillery’s regal legacy.
The Dalmore is crafted using a 150-year-old artisan process passed down though the generations. Harnessed by the skills of our craftsmen, eight hand beaten cooper stills of variable shape and size deliver a full flavoured and complex new spirit. This is then tempered and enriched over the years in the finest American white oak barrels ex-bourbon casks and hand selected oloroso sherry butts, sourced from world renowned bodega Gonzalez Byass. Master Distiller Ricard Paterson then makes his final selection, harmonising the spirit of the chosen casks in bespoke sherry butts until he decides that the precious contents are ready for bottling.
Twelve years maturing in American white oak ex-bourbon casks precede a three year finish in three different sherry woods: Amoroso, Apostles and Matusalem oloroso. A robust, yet elegant spirit.
Aroma: Orange marmalade, cinnamon and nutmeg
Palate: Mandarin, vanilla, ginger and crushed apples
Finish: Peppery spice and oak”
Taste: 3.0 – It’s a light and warming sort of taste. You get a bit of scotch before the sherry just kicks in.
Aftertaste: 2.0 – Here the sherry really comes in, and it’s honestly a bit like drinking sherry or wine. It’s disgusting.
Burn/Smooth: 3.0 – That does not go down smooth. Oh, it doesn’t burn. However that sherry wine like flavor is overpowering.
Aroma: 3.0 – It’s almost all sherry wood sadly. It may have spent more time in good old oak, but that finish for 3 years in a bunch of sherry is all you get.
Honesty: 4.0 – That is so much wank, so much text, and then you have sherry casking. The Dalmore has a bunch of good going for it, but holy shitballs is it ruined.
Mixability: 4.0
W/ Rocks: 4.0 – You get a bit more smoke and a little less sherry. It certainly improves the whiskey overall, but it’s still not great
Value: 1.0 – This is not a good whiskey, and it’s certainly not good for the cost. While it might be 15 years old, the sherry has ruined this.
Google Shop Average: $99
Website: https://www.thedalmore.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 2.5
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Metric Score: 20/70 |+| Metric Average: 2.86 |+| Reviewer Average: 2.5
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Final Thoughts: This might go down as one of the worst scotches on this site, and it’s a damn shame. We are not ones to look a gift horse in the mouth, but then maybe we shouldn’t be accepting liquids from the mouth of an equine. Dalmore is a solid scotch maker, and this is not one of their finest moments.
