Whisky: Dalmore 12 Year (2008), Gordon & MacPhail for Broken Barrel Club

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 57.3%

Cask: Refill Bourbon Barrel

Age: 12 Years (Distilled 2008, Bottled 10 Mar. 2021)

Nose: Honey, malt, and tropical fruit syrup. Thick and gooey honey with hints of sesame and pistachio pastries carried forth with rich malty sugars. A bit of spirited heat poked out between notes of vanilla, tropical fruit syrup, and pineapple upside-down cake.

Palate: Medium-bodied and buttery with notes of caramel, orchard fruit, and honey. Velvety caramel and butterscotch with green apples, orange rind, and a kiss of salt. Caramel apples shifted to honey-coated pears while a slightly creamy nougat and black pepper developed on the back end.

Finish: Medium-length malty sugars and honey.

Score: 5

Mental Image: Caramel Apple Pie

Notes: A slightly off-character Dalmore, this reminded me more of Balvenie or Glenmorangie than anything else. There was a hint of the coastal undercurrents, tobacco, or orange zest I associate with the distillery. Instead, orchard fruits and caramel dominated much of the experience. No doubt the casking played a role here— it had a minimal influence on the malt compared to the typical distillery style. Dalmore matures most of its whisky in first-fill bourbon barrels or oloroso sherry— finishing many of its core products in sherry butts, according to Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion.

A good friend selected this cask, so  I am hardly a neutral party in this review. However, I am not sure if I judged the whisky more severely or gave it a bit of a pass. It was an interesting Dalmore, especially for anyone whose experience has been chiefly with the sherry forward core bottles. Yet, I am not a fan of orchard fruit-centric profiles, especially when the accompanying notes are caramel or butterscotch. This Dalmore was on the simple side, and orchard fruits played a starring role without much to back them up.

Overall, a wonderfully promising aroma let me down a bit on the palate. There were no apparent flaws to the whisky, but neither were there many exciting elements. A fine sipper to share with friends and a dram perhaps of interest to those who have enjoyed Dalmore’s core products.