Whisky: Dalwhinnie Distillery Exclusive Batch 1

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 48%

Cask: First Fill Bourbon, Charred and Rejuvenated Red Wine Casks

Age: NAS (Bottled 2022)

Nose: Gentle and mild with dried figs, apples, and a hint of orange rind. Complementary notions of baking chocolate and lawn clippings;  hints of citrus rind, wood, and cinnamon created a potpourri effect.

Palate: Medium to light-bodied and mild with dried fruits and more subtle layers of chocolate and spice. Dried figs and apricots arrived first, with apples following shortly behind. More cinnamon, brown sugar, and pepper developed as oak came to the fore with a gentle chocolate and hints of orange rind.

Finish: The finish was medium length and mild, with dried fruits and a touch of pepper.

Score: 5-6 (75)

Mental Image: Raiding the Cupboard for Chocolate

Narrative & Notes: Mild-mannered and unassuming, I initially poured this as a blind mystery sample and guessed it was a teenage sherry-forward whisky with 43-46% abv, possibly from Aberlour or, knowing who gave this to me, Jura.  It turns out this was the first batch of Dalwhinnie’s distillery exclusive; a single malt matured in charred and rejuvenated red wine casks. The wine cask played a central role providing ample chocolate and red fruits.

Post-reveal, I am even more impressed by the balance the distillery struck here; this was one of the more gentle and well-integrated red wine maturations I have ever encountered.

Image Credit: Scotch&Sheen, check out his review through the link!