October 16, 2014

Tasting three recent Dailuaines

Dailuaine 15 yo 1997/2013 (46%, Douglas McGibbon, Provenance)

There are quite a few indie Dailuaines around these days. More variety, that’s great, isn’t it.

Dailuaine 15 yo 1997/2013 (46%, Douglas McGibbon, Provenance) Colour: pale gold. Nose: a blend of ‘spirit’ sulphur and apple juice at fist nosing, with this particular fatness and notes of sunflower oil. Goes on with more beer, ale, yeast, bread and plain malt. Pretty ‘natural’, firm… Mouth: same notes of beer, plus apples again, a little lemon, a few bitter herbs and touches of sweet vegetables. Beetroots and turnip? Good mouth feel. Finish: medium length. Sweet beer, a little liquorice, a faint prickly/fizzy side. Tonic water and pepper. Comments: a bit raw, but very ‘natural’. A fatter Speysider. SGP:451 - 79 points.

Dailuaine 22 yo 1992/2014 (53.1%, Glen Fahrn Germany, bourbon barrel, cask #3126)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: very unusual. There’s this sulphur again (I insist, that’s normal, no gunpowder or eggs or cabbage whatever), then big whiffs of apple peelings, fresh asparagus and broken branches. Great grassy nose, very singular. With water: great. Some earth, humus, mushrooms, hessian… Mouth (neat): great. That grassiness plus zesty mangos, grapefruits and lemon balm. Excellent grassy structure that hints at fresh wood – I mean, un-dried. Oily mouth feel. With water: great. More fruitiness, pineapple drops, grapefruit drops and such… Finish: good length, fresh as a baby’s mouth, clean and fruity. Comments: great (that’ll do, S.) Very easy, but with excellent body and structure. Substance? SGP:641 - 89 points.

Dailuaine 21 yo 1992/2013 (54.8%, Barmetro for Milano Whisky Festival, cask #3128, 227 bottles)

A sister cask, obviously (well spotted, S.!) Colour: pale gold. Nose: it is the same whisky. Not the same cask, but really, the whiskies are nearly identical. Maybe this one has got an added tiny-wee touch of vanilla? No, not really… With water: same. Mouth (neat): same, really. And really good. Good bourbon wood. With water: same, so great. Again, maybe a tad more fresh oak, but it’s hard to bring both down to the very same A.B.V., so… Finish: same. Maybe a little aniseed in this one. Maybe… Comments: same. SGP:641 - 89 points.

Check the index of all Dailuaine I've tasted so far