Dalmunach 6 Year (2018), Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection
Whisky: Dalmunach 6 Year (2018), Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection
Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside
ABV: 63.3%
Cask: Refill PX Hogshead Finish
Age: 6 Years (Distilled 2018, Bottled Oct. 2024)
Nose: Creamy and sweet, concentrated fruits, fruit hard candies, anise, pepper, yogurt, slightly sour and chemical.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied, cream, fruit punch, dank herbs, yogurt, concentrated fruits, fruity candies.
Finish: Medium-length and fruity with a touch of musty old grass piles.
Score: 3-4 (70)
Mental Image: Starburst Candy Flavored Yogurt
Narrative & Notes: The aroma was creamy and sweet with loads of currants and jammy fruits arriving ahead of jujubes, cinnamon, and goji berries. Anise and peppercorns appeared with black vinegar to give the creaminess a slightly medicinal quality, one that reminded me of fish head rice porridge. At other times the creaminess turned a touch sour, yogurt gone slightly off, with hints of something chemical, like big expo markers. Medium to full-bodied, the flavor profile was loaded with cream, fruit punch hard candies, and some danker herbs at the end. The creaminess was sweet and sugary, but occasionally a bit sour which brought me back to the notion of slightly off yogurt, or rancid butter. More pleasant fruity hard candies arrived next: grape, orange, and cherry Lifesavers, with slightly musty herbs and old grass. The finish was medium-length and fruity with a touch of musty old grass piles.
I am 0-3 on Dalmunach so far, and this was a low water mark I am afraid. The mouthfeel was great with plenty of the same creamy elements as the others, but everything else felt either a bit rancid and slightly off, or cloyingly sweet. I assume it was the cask that pushed those notions forward, and also lent the whisky a chemical vibe, especially on the nose. The dank grass at the end, which reminded me a bit of a pile of mowed grass let to sit for a week, gave the whisky a real characterful, and slightly old-fashioned quality. While some of these elements were interesting, they were not cohesive and the whisky often felt at war with itself.
Overall, my expectations were not great coming into this, but I still ended up disappointed. On the positive side, the alcohol was very well-integrated and balanced on this and I would never have guessed it clocked in at over 60% abv.
