Origin: Highlands (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 52%ABV
Ageing cask: Ex-Bourbon
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: North Star Spirits
Average price: € 95.00
Official website: northstarspirits.com
In recent years, Dalwhinnie whisky, designated to represent the Highlands style within the Classic Malts, has become almost impossible to find among the offerings of independent bottlers. And that is a shame, because the malt from this distillery, which I had the chance to visit last June on the road to Orkney, would qualitatively deserve much greater visibility and recognition.
A pleasant exception to this scarcity is today’s ex-bourbon single cask, distilled in March 2008 and bottled 13 years later by North Star Spirits, the well-known Glasgow-based IB, at 52%, in its natural colour and non-chill filtered, in 235 bottles that are now hard to find.
Tasting Notes
The color is a bright gold.
On the nose, a creamy zabaglione base supports an impressive array of kitchen spices: rosemary, thyme, nutmeg, and white pepper. A balsamic touch of liquorice goes hand in hand with a fruity note of yellow apple. Butter biscuits and lemon zest, together with an unusual hint of crackers, complete an extremely pleasant picture that improves sip after sip.
On the palate, it is a triumph of toffee. With the exception of pepper, the spices recede in intensity and a note of polished light wood emerges. Orange marmalade, a hint of green banana, and a faint memory of Grand Marnier define an aromatic range in which the sweetness, though evident, never becomes overpowering.
The medium-length finish stays on the creamy side, with a hint of toffee and a sprinkle of pepper.
Conclusions: At the end of the tour I had the opportunity to taste some cask strength Dalwhinnies which, in my memory, come very close to this bottling from North Star Spirits. The great merit of today’s whisky is therefore that it gives the drinker a reliable idea of Dalwhinnie’s style, with that balance between sweetness and spice that is one of its main strengths.
Vote: 88/100