Tasting the Dalmore ‘Rivers Collection’

The Dalmore river collection consists of 4 different expressions created by W&M (and The Dalmore) Master Blender Richard Paterson, with each expression reflecting the the individual character of the 4 greatest salmon rivers in Scotland : Tay,Spey,Dee and Tweed. Each expression within the Dalmore Rivers collection has been individually matured in a combination of bourbon American White Oak and the finest Oloroso “Matuselem” sherry wood from world-renowned bodega Gonzalez Byass, Spain. The differences are then based on the time each whisky spent in each of those cask types and the amount of each cask used in the final vatting. All four are bottled at 40% ABV.

bottles are priced at around £40, for every single bottle sold a minimum donation of £4 will be gifted to the relevant river trust or foundation.  A worthy cause indeed.

So, without further ado, let’s start exploring these four interesting drams:

The Dee Dram, 40% , £42 @ MoM

The River Dee rises at approximately 4000 feet in elevation on the plateau of Braeriach, the highest source of any major river in the British Isles.

Nose: Spices, mixed with Orange peel and sultans, sweet honeyed malty notes as well.

Palate: Entering on the Spices, moving on to milk chocolate, dried fruit, and cinnamon, with some crushed coffee beans, and a lovely sherry feel to it.

Finish : Long-Medium on dark chocolate, and woody notes at the very end.

A lovely malt. although the finish is not as good as the palate/nose.

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The Spey Dram , 40% , £38 @MoM

The River Spey  is a river in the northeast of Scotland, the second longest and the fastest-flowing river in Scotland. It is important for salmon fishing, and as we all know, very important as a water source for whisky production.

Nose: Spicier than the Tay. with more citrus,and jasmine blossom. less sherried then Tay

palate: Christmas cake, orange peel, chocolate truffle, marzipan and cocoa

Finish : Bitter coffee, dark chocolate, treacle, liquor filled bon –bons.

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The Dalmore Tweed Dram , 40% ,£38 @ MoM

The River Tweed, 156 km long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed’s Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest.It’s considered as one of the best Salmon fishing rivers.

Nose: Quite a light nose, ‘light sherry’ as i like to call it, with some malty,honey,vanilla and some fruit (sultanas,baked apples)

Palate: Sweet, on sultanas, spices, and honey. quite subtle as well, not as sweet, with some lightweight winy notes.

Finish : Short-Medium, ending on malty,distant dry sherry, and spicy notes.

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The Dalmore Tay Dram , 40% , £38 @ MoM

The River Tay  is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochhart, Loch Lubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay in the centre of Scotland, then south-easterly through Perth, where it becomes tidal, at its mouth at the Firth of Tay, south of Dundee. It is the largest river in the UK by volume of discharge.

Nose : Toffee, Sherry, and some lemony notes(citrus) , some spices(ginger and cinnamon).

Palate: Fruit cake, chocolate, cocoa, honey, wine notes. quite warming and very soothing. A lovely palate!

Finish : Long, milk chocolate, fudge, and spice.

Bottom line:

All four drams are of very good quality, where the star of the show in my opinion is the Tay dram, followed by the Spey. Every whisky lover can surely find a dram of his liking among those four. It’s a very interesting bottling, and the donation to the rivers cause is just another reason to stock up on one of those. Good work by Richard Paterson, and The Dalmore.

Slainte!