Dalmore The Quartet (1L)

Product Information

The Dalmore’s age-stated expressions hew to a certain archetype of classic, sherried Highland malt, while the NAS selections are a bit more on the free-wheeling side, differentiating themselves in their styles of finish, unique flavor profiles and variation in proof point. Perhaps unexpectedly, the second cheapest Dalmore expression, Port Wood Reserve, is also the strongest in the entire core lineup, at a still fairly modest 46.5% ABV (93 proof). As the name would suggest, this entry shifts its focus away from the typical sherry and onto secondary maturation in aged tawny port pipes, with the added punch of proof clearly meant to give it another distinguishing characteristic. Lastly, Dalmore The Quintet is said to have flavours of ‘exotic fruits drenched in maple syrup’, owing to its maturation in ex-moscatel, malmsey madeira, 30-year-old matusalem Sherry, 10-year-old Port and Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon casks. Whiskybase B.V. (“Whiskybase”, “we” or “us”, company details below) offers a whisky enthusiasts online platform that provides its members access to the most comprehensive, transparent and trusted resource of whisky bottles and allows and stimulates its members to contribute information about whisky bottles to the platform (“Service”).

We may sell, license, transfer, assign or in any other way dispose of the Service (including Members) to any third party without any notification to you, e.g. (but without limitation) in connection with any reorganization, restructuring, merger or sale, or other transfer of assets. Without prejudice to the section Liability below, the Service may be temporarily unavailable during maintenance, updates, etc. We shall make reasonable efforts to inform you of any unavailability due to maintenance or updates. Where things change is a couple seconds later when some dried sugary fruit from the sherry starts to appear (probably closest to dried apricots in my estimation), finishing off with that darker cabernet sauvignon red wine note. An evolved take on the process used in The Dalmore 12, the 15-year expression is aged for 12 years in American bourbon casks before being split between three different styles of sherry woods: Amoroso, Apostles and Matusalem, for the rest of its maturation. The three threads are then merged together once again, creating The Dalmore 15. The distillery refers to this bottle as “the epitome of our house style,” suggesting perhaps that this expression is what they see as their true flagship, as it were. Like the 12 year, this is only 40% ABV (80 proof). Nothing in the Terms shall exclude or limit our liability for fraudulent misrepresentation or for death or personal injury resulting from gross negligence or willful misconduct by us.If we decide not to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms, such decision shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. No partnership, joint venture, agency, or employment relationship is created as a result of your use of the Service. Thankfully, there are perks to being a spirits writer, when it comes to setting up tastings. In the last few years, I’ve been consistently expanding my knowledge and tasting data of classic Scottish malt distilleries, falling in love along the way with the likes of GlenDronach, Oban, Arran and Glenfarclas. There was one prominent Highland name on my list, however, that I’d never sampled: The Dalmore. Figuring it was time to finally familiarize myself with this particular, sherry-rich lineup, I reached out to the distillery and ultimately ended up with samples of all 7 core Dalmore expressions.

With a chunk of ice added, all I’m really left with is a bit of honey from the malted barley, some of the caramel and vanilla from the bourbon barrels, and a bit of peat smoke rising through the flavor profile. Interesting to note is that the peat smoke wasn’t a major component in the neat flavor profile, but the added ice gives it a bit of room to make an appearance. Usually with a bit of ice, the more delicate flavors tend to drop out of the running and the richer flavors get toned down a bit. Especially in finished whiskies, that usually means the flavors from the finishing process are the first to go. And, in general, I think that’s what happened here. The Service has been prepared by us solely for information purposes to Members and the Service is based on information we consider reliable and we obtain the contents of the Service from a number of different third party sources (including Contributions), but we do not endorse, support, represent, warrant or guarantee the completeness, truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of the Services and any information therein.

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The finish on this whiskey is surprisingly short, lasting less than a minute and without any real lingering flavors. But I guess that’s expected — you don’t want the flavor of your whiskey to ruin the flavor of your next puff on a cigar. On Ice