Tasting the new kid on the block : Dalmore ‘Castle Loed’ vintage 1995

A little detour today, from all the lovely GlenDronachs I sampled and about to continue sampling tomorrow. Off to some Dalmore.

If you’ve read last week’s Newsflash, you pretty much know about this new release from The Dalmore. Basically it’s a limited edition created by Richard Paterson consisting of 5,000 bottles worldwide. The whisky was distilled in 1995 then aged in a combination of Spanish and American barrels, after which they were placed in wine barriques imported from one of the most famous Bordeaux houses ( not indicated, but it’s one of the 1st cru  classse ). I’m quite fond of big wine finishes, I know it’s not a “classic” whisky, but the wine finish does add a very interesting effect, and denotes its tannins to the spirit, which makes it even more complex, in a way. I was really thrilled to try this expression, having quite liked the previous “Mackenzie” release by the Dalmore.

the official tasting notes are here for comparison:

Official Tasting Notes (by Richard Paterson)
Colour: Radiant amber with hints of crimson gold
Nose:  Exhilarating romantic notes of Rose de Mai, heady tuberose, ylang-ylang and rich narcissus are coupled with arousing notes of juicy plums, blackcurrants, bergamot and mandarin.
Taste: The “King of Grapes”. the Cabernet Sauvignon from a legendary 1st cru classe Bordeaux chateau adds that extra level of pure luxury to our noble Dalmore. But again fleshy plums, raisins and citrus fruits are reinforced during this initial flirtation on the palate. Within seconds the next sensual fusion makes its presence felt when silky tones of kiwi fruit, honey, caramelised pear and sweet mango roll over from the warmth of your tongue. A final feast of crushed almonds, spicy ginger, chewy toffee and soft liquorice brings this passionate love affair to a perfect conclusion.

my tasting notes:

The Dalmore ‘Castle Loed’  Vintage 1995, 46% , limited to 5,000 bottles , £100

Colour : Copper

Nose: big and thick wine notes from the nose. after penetrating the wine layer, we get some leather. all very winey with quite a few tannins.

Palate:  Wine,a great deal of that, then on to sweet fruit, sweet cocoa, a few odd notes of egg yolk (eggnog kind of) , a few spices , cinnamon bark. did not quite get any of the Kiwi fruit and mango mentioned in the official tasting notes, but those are also great.

Finish : a bit of metal, lots of raisins dipped in wine and liqueur.

Bottom line :

A very interesting Dalmore. Quite different than the house style, as this wine finish does vary a lot form the classic sherry finishes or aged spirit. The wine effect is very storng here, so if you are fond of wine aged whiskies, look no further. If you are into ‘classic’ whiskies, or more gentle malty profiles, this one is not for you. Good work Richard!

Score: 88/100

Slainte!