Category: Dailuaine

Style: Oaky, Sweet and Dignified

Nose:
Multiple layers of oak gently placed on the spirit – Begins with cedar wood, tree sap, vanilla oak and finally a soft touch of varnish. Very malty as well. The sweetness of pine and maple syrup are giving a rich and oily buffer in the middle, followed by stewed tropical fruits gleaming softly at the core. Ground black pepper sprinkles on caramel ice cream, vanilla pods on the side. Feels very integrated and comfortable. Dry chilies towards the end.

Palate:
Pristine oak continues to shine and run the show, tree sap and cedar wood fragrance painted with vanilla cream whilst a small dose of acetone in injected to give some acidity and energy. Malt is sitting comfortably inside. Crème brulee, subtle sultanas, baked fruits, golden syrup, heavily charred vanilla, twig and vines forming several dynamic undercurrents. Dry chilli giving a good spike at the back again. Maraschino cherry and herbal liqueur linger till the end.

Finish:
Vanilla pudding, dark chocolate and red currants braiding together and echoing beautifully.

Thoughts:
Not often we are able to witness an expression that is orchestrated so masterfully by the oak, it is tidy, balanced and there is a feeling that all the elements – malt, fruits, spirit are subsumed into it and forms a coherent, complex and sophisticated whisky. Nothing short of sensational. I wonder if casks like this still exist in 2020, let’s just hope that we haven’t digged out all the gems out already…

☆☆ [Highly Recommended]

[Independent Bottling | 47% | Single Cask | Cask Strength | 1976 Distilled | 2013 Bottled | Cask Number: 5970 | 130 Bottles | **+]

-Esmond

Style: Fruity and Lightly smoked

Nose:
Light fruits injected into a yeasty and malty aroma, quite young as there are marks of new make at the front. Orange peel with a whiff of Triple Sec and tar. Liquorice roots, perhaps some cedarwood, lavender oil dripping onto clam shells firing on barbeque sizzle. All sweet and smoky. While salt crystals and moss hidden shyly from ester fruits on top. Finish off with a high-flying tone on lemon sorbet and meringue.

Palate:
A light and serene citrus entrance on the palate. Orange and lemon confectioneries forming a nice, zesty edge. Another dose of floral-infused yeasty bread, which then somehow transfigured into Belgium milk chocolate. Minimal wood fire smoke diffuses into the background, whereas liquorice roots pinging a high note and holding up the structure. Minimal tar lagging behind at the end.

Finish:
Soft sweetness with all kinds of side notes – wood, maritime and others lingering comfortably. One final run of fruits leaving a nice, sweet tail.

Thoughts:
This is a young Dailuaine matured in peaty cask, interesting spec isn’t it? The resulting profile is actually quite accurate, young, sweet Speyside fruits taking a hint of peat smoke. Good strength but probably a tad young as new make notes are fairly visible. However, this drop is unusually drinkable, by the time I finish writing this, I have already single-handedly finished half of the bottle… Maybe because the profile is direct while there is a bit of everything for you to enjoy, the fruits, the smoke, the creamy texture, minerals, even some oak and maritime notes – A very dimensional dram that makes it quite satisfying for me.

✓ [Recommended if you like the style/ distillery]

[56.1% | Independent Bottling | Single Cask | 2007 Distilled | 2018 Bottled | Cask Strength | Cask reference: DU718 | t+]

-Esmond

[45%・15 Years Old・Distilled in 201・Bottled in 2016・Silvano Samaroli Bottling・Cask No. 68・Single Cask Release of 340 bottles]

Nose:

Freshly plucked red apples and sweet pear nectar.  Plump barley emitting a joyous harvest time vibe, a delicate coating of wax to seal the freshness.  A perfectly comforting nose for those who values tranquility over excitement; mangos and jasmine providing enlightenment and the wild flowers gifting the nose a mesmerising imperfection.

Palate & Finish:

Clean stone fruits with the maltiness initially reserved but growing more robust.  Hint of menthol to go with the silky creaminess as the caramel effortlessly blends in together with the oak.  Orange oil and orange peels give the dram a spark, also lending a bitterness that accentuates the fruits.

Japanese peaches paired with a soft white tea, a brush of hazelnut cream that draws out the natural fragrances from the barley.

Thoughts:

A dram that is akin to going vanilla in a relationship, which for those who can appreciate that it is arguably most enjoyable..  it’s plausible that one can really commit to this.

☆[Recommended]

-Nicholas