New old and old middle-aged Dalwhinnie


April 17, 2020

The Confined Sessions
Day 31
New old and old middle-aged Dalwhinnie

There are not only Lagavulins, Taliskers, Broras or Port Ellens within this pretty posh range (note that I love the fact that they did no go for silly dust-gatherers a.k.a. decanters a.k.a. the despair of cleaning ladies), there’s also… Dalwhinnie! Kudos to everyone involved, this cannot be only for speculation. We’ll first have a wee aperitif, which I’ve already tried in the past, but this is another bottle and I’m really curious.

Dalwhinnie 20 yo 1963 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, old brown label, +/-1983)

Just as a quick aperitif, we said. But beware the smoke in these vintages, Dalwhinnie was not the relatively gentle dram it’s become. They were still using their own floor maltings at that time, they only stopped using those in the late 1960s. So this is clearly a ‘different’ Dalwhinnie… Colour: gold. Nose: you’re really having the feeling of nosing an old toolbox (in an old garage, in an old house etc.), then some slightly stale old tea leaves, old cigars, then some loud and clear medicinal notes, from ointments to tiger balm. Also that famous short walk in the woods after the rain, with mushrooms, moss, goblins… Maybe not goblins. Absolutely not the current style of Dalwhinnie, but I seem to remember the early Classic Malts were still displaying this mossy earthiness. Mouth: rather incredible that these old CCs have kept so well. Which, granted, is not the case with all bottles. Salt, Maggi, malt extract, korma, paraffin, smoked ham, something ashy, sucking your panatela (that’s a slim cigar, in case you didn’t know). No there isn’t much fruitiness, and it tends to become a little drying, but it’ still an impressive dram, rather reminiscent of some Obans if that rings a bell. Finish: medium, not tired, dry, a tad leathery, always with this feeling of old tealeaves. Loses one or two points. Comments: honestly, it was a little fragile here and there, but it’s a great old whisky and they don’t make them like this anymore.
SGP:363 - 88 points.

Dalwhinnie 31 yo 1987/2019 (56.4%, OB, Casks of Distinction, for TDW Whisky Club, oak butt, cask #1528, 492 bottles)

Dalwhinnie 31 yo 1987/2019 (56.4%, OB, Casks of Distinction, for TDW Whisky Club, oak butt, cask #1528, 492 bottles)
In theory, this baby will be rounder, maltier, with more chocolate and cakes, as well as… wait wait wait, not so fast. Colour: straw. Nose: fresh, tense, bright, fruity and even young. Cranberry juice, gooseberries, greengages, a good loaf of leaven bread, cassis, and believe it or not (better believe it), whiffs of champagne and a handful of crushed fresh almonds. With water: it gets very chalky, very very chalky. Côte des Blancs shall we say, pure chardonnay of course. A few touches of toasted hazelnuts. Very lovely nose, all subtlety. Forgot to mention acacia honey. Mouth (neat): it’s really not wood-driven, which is very cool. It’s even a tad rough shall we say, very fresh, with only the smallest possible amount of vanilla at 31 yo. Other than that, you’ll find white and yellow jams and preserved fruits, melons, peaches, gooseberries again, and rather more citrus than on the nose. Also finger biscuits (to go with the champ’), sponge cake, and lastly, some smallish mentholy notes, eucalyptus, tiny touches of ginger and turmeric… It’s all very good! With water: this time it’s the maltiness that comes out indeed, more cakes, or there, macha scones. Macha scones with champagne, how does that sound? Finish: medium, perhaps on stewed rhubarb, more green tea, some wax, and some dry spices, around cinnamon. Touch of turmeric again in the aftertaste. Comments: again, I’m rather surprised this rather austere style (no sherry, no heavy fresh oak, no big fruit) has been bottled within this series. But distinctive it is, that’s for sure, and I’d bet a proper connoisseur selected this cask.
SGP:361 - 90 points.

(Thank you mucho, Clint!)

Check the index of all Dalwhinnie we've tasted so far