Introduction
The Dalmore 12
This post is about The Dalmore 12 (OB), 40% ABV. It’s matured in 50% American white oak ex-bourbon and 50% oloroso sherry wood casks. The Dalmore line has been recently updated, with changes made to the whisky as well as the packaging. The “old” 12 year was matured in 70% bourbon and 30% sherry casks. I’ve had Dalmore on my list of distilleries to try, but hadn’t really sought any of the expressions out. I guess that’s fine, as there was apparently a bit of a delay getting these new releases onto the shelves in the United States. My local specialty shop just got a few of these 12 year bottles in within the last month.
Tasting notes
Here’s what it says about the taste on the box:
Orange marmelade and rich spice, elegant and refined with concentrated citrus and oloroso sherry, an aftertaste of great abundance.It’s been AGES since I tasted “great abundance”. I can’t wait!
On the nose, I get a Terry’s dark chocolate orange ball with some cinnamon potpourri spices. Also, I’m reminded of a wood-paneled library with leather bound books. I then work through to some fruity sweetness – I want to say peaches in brown sugar syrup. At the end, I get a hint of tea leaves (it comes and goes, though). I felt the overall presentation of the nose was a bit laid back.
On the palate, it’s sweet and somewhat watery. It reminds me a bit of Coca-Cola, which is something I get with bourbons as well. Heading into the finish I get another hint of spice, and some drying on the tongue. Finally, a reminder of the sherry component before it all fades away fairly quickly (maybe a hint of smoke in the nostrils at the end).
Conclusion:
This was my first Dalmore. I’m very satisfied with the flavor profile, and look forward to trying other Dalmore expressions. My only gripe with this one is that you have to really go after the laid back nose, and the palate and finish are too gentle. It goes down extremely easy, but I want more oomph. You’ve got a great profile Dalmore…give me more of it! That being said, I’ll very much enjoy working my way through this bottle. I see no reason to disagree with the 83/84 point scores by Serge Valentin and John Hansell (links below).
The unboxing
This may be a bit over the top, but I took a video of the unboxing of my Dalmore 12, much like you would see somebody do with the release of a new Apple product:
Other opinions
- WHISKYFUN.COM by Serge – He likes this one, and rates it 3 points higher than the previous version of the 12 year.
- What does John know? (Malt Advocate) – John mentions pineapple upside down cake on the nose. I can certainly see that in place of my peaches in syrup notes.
- whisky-pages – Some great notes by Gavin and Tom. I can totally identify with their descriptions. They say the finish is longer than the old Dalmore 12. Wow…that one must have been crazy short!
Scotch Hobbyist's Blog 
[…] Hobbyist finds he likes the new Dalmore 12, but whishes is had a bit more […]
jeff
u should try the dalmore 15.
it’s devine.
i love it
It’s definitely on my list. Only the 12 year is available locally. They’re rolling out the Dalmore line very slowly across the U.S.
[…] find an old white box Dalmore 12 pick it up while it’s still around. Find reviews of both at Scotch Hobbyist […]
Best Fruty Single Malt Unbeliveble Cherry Flavoured
The first time around, I didn’t really get cherries in the Dalmore 12. If you really want cherries, you should try the Dalmore Mackenzie!
Revisiting the 12 year now, I do indeed see where you would get cherries as part of the profile.
Thanks for the comment!
Jeff
[…] 50% American white oak and 50% Oloroso sherry casks. This still comes across much like my previous tasting notes last year. A chocolate orange hits, then gives way to wood spices and pineapple upside-down cake. […]
I quite like Dalmore, but I’ve got the feeling that 40 percent alcohol (which is the strength they usually go for) is not enough. Even the rather expensive King Alexander III is bottled at that strength. The taste itself is fine, but there’s the same problem that you mentioned in this review: It’s too watery.
Why don’t they go up to 46% or something and leave the choice of adding water to the consumer? Yeah, the price would go up a bit, but I think it would be worth it.
I just noticed that you already said pretty much the same thing (even down to the suggested alcohol content!) in your other blog entry about Dalmore – whoops 🙂
Glad to see I’m not the only one who thinks this way!
Hi Martin,
Thanks for the comments. I’m with you on bottling at 46-48%. The higher % of Dalmore Mackenzie is probably one of the factors that inspired me to rate that as an “A” whisky vs a “B” whisky.
If I find a dusty bottle of their Cigar Malt (predecessor to Gran Reserva) in a liquor store somewhere, I’ll definitely grab it and see if the extra 3% abv brings anything to the table. They had bottled it at 43%, but lowered it to 40% when they renamed it Gran Reserva. 😦
Cheers,
Jeff
Hello Jeff,
sounds like I’ll have to get a hold of a sample of the Mackenzie then!
I actually thought that the Cigar Malt was an entirely different Whisky. Well, that sucks.
Great blog by the way, you have a new regular reader!
Martin