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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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November 9, 2015 |
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We’re going on with our exploration of this year’s Special Releases by Diageo, and today it’s going to be Dailuaine’s turn. It’s not a distillery I’m extremely familiar with, although I’ve already tried some very good ones. But let’s kick this off with a little aperitif, as usual… |
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Dailuaine 16 yo 1997/2013 (46%, Signatory Vintage, Un-chillfiltered Collection, casks #10178-10179, 739 bottles)  I’ve tried a pretty good 15 yo in the same series. Colour: white wine. Nose: totally on malted barley, with also sweets and sweet ale, plus tinned pears. Whiffs of baker’s yeast, and a faint waxiness that makes it rather fatter than others. Mouth: a feeling of quaffing concentrated ale, and I cannot not not think of Brewdog’s famous cold-distilled beer. Slight prickliness, something burnt/malty, bitter oranges. Not a light and easy one! Some cloves as well, cinnamon cake, nutmeg… Finish: rather long, very malty, slightly burnt. Comments: I find this one good, for sure, but a tad difficult because of this feeling of very strong beer. Unless, of course, you love very strong beer. SGP:461 - 78 points. |
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Dailuaine 17 yo 1996/2014 (51.9%, Archives, hogshead, cask #10607)  Colour: white wine. Nose: very same style as that of the Signatory, with just a little more citrus and more vanilla. Other than that, same-ish waxiness, malt, and notes of fruity hops. Well, Californian IPA. A little lemongrass. As they say in whisky blogging, ‘nice!’ With water: some linseed oil, grapefruit juice, and muesli. Swims well. Notes of fresh brioche, near-yeasty. Mouth (neat): it hasn’t got this burnt malt, it’s rather got oranges and honey, plus tangerines. And, indeed, sweet malt. Pleasant fatness on your tongue, it’s pretty oily malt whisky. With water: a touch of coffee-schnapps. Choose your coffee, choose your schnapps. Finish: rather long, malty, a wee tad burnt just like the Signatory. Oranges are back in the aftertaste. Comments: all fine. Excuse me, all nice. SGP:551 - 83 points. |
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Dailuaine 34 yo 1980/2015 (50.9%, OB, Special Release, 2952 bottles)  This baby ex-refill American oak. BTW, these came with a magnificent little black book full of trivia, and I’ve just learned that Dailuaine welcomed the very first pagoda roofs in Scotland, in 1889. Knowledge is power! Colour: gold. Nose: yessss, a beehive! I’m not sure why or when these very obvious notes of beeswax, pollen, nectar and ‘delicate pinewood’ do occur, but I just love them. What’s sure is that they’re never to be found in young whiskies – let alone NAS, ha-ha. So plenty of honeyed notes, honeydew, pinesap, mead, overripe pears, then rather tangerines, a touch of cardamom, rosehip… I’m all for this! With water: more towards Seville oranges, a little ginger, some polished wood, and Alsatian bredala (Christmas cookies). Rather less beehivy notes. Mouth (neat): a touch of fizzy wood, with lime, pepper and ginger, then a honeyed development, rather around eucalyptus honey, and perhaps a drop of mojito. Really. The honey really coats all this. With water: once again, water makes it spicier and rather less honeyed. Ratafia, orange cordial, ginger cookies… Finish: medium, with spices and a return on sweet barley. Comments: impeccable old Dailuaine. SGP:561 - 89 points. |
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