Whisky Review: the Dalmore Highland 12

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How do you rate the Dalmore Highland 12 year (five is best)?

5
0
No votes
4
1
100%
3
0
No votes
2
0
No votes
1
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 1

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Capn Jimbo
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Whisky Review: the Dalmore Highland 12

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Dalmore Highland 12: Vanilla rum cake


My friends. First, I am NOT a real whiskey reviewer, but I really do know my rum, and to be fair, a fine spirit is a fine spirit. Richard Seale agrees with me. Here's the background: I'd just had a lovely evening, a decent number of Bloody Mary's at my favorite pub, and a simply lovely companion. Does it get any better?

So I woke up this am, and decided some good Ethiopian coffee and couple small bowls of a good morning piper were in order. And they were. In fact the second bowl - a nice aromatic - somehow drove me to pour a dram from the dusty back shelves of my whisky collection. The Dalmore Highland 12. As for good single malts, I just drink and enjoy them, but reviews? Rarely.


This one was different...

Mind you I really and truly appreciate a fine single malt (and most of them are, regardless of age). This is because they are scrupulously honest and pure and I always marvel at what real skill and the experience of centuries - literally - can do. From the smoky Islays (yum!) to this very different Highland based malt, the Dalmore, perhaps inspired by my second bowl of vanilla-based aromatic tobacco. I'll now STFU and tell you about it:

Moi:

"I'm not going to waste a word on the bottle or label (which are actually quite traditionally lovely), but get right to it. I won't tease this one, but say the Dalmore 12 is wonderful and I'll tell you why. First, I want to disavow any of your who have a fixation that age is good, and youth sucks. Bullshyt. I am one who realizes that all those old, complex, woody and wonderful oldies all once were youthful.

Just like me and some of you.

In a way, I really do like a fine youthful dram. Not a new make mind you, but something like this Dalmore 12, which in the whisky world is just beginning to get interesting. Like say a 6 or 7 year old rum, just beginning to blossom. This whisky is special. All of the qualities are there - in spades - of a fine whisky that will get even better.

The nose was not terribly complex, but nonetheles extremely pleasant: lovely sweet medium fruits (not the high fruits like grapefruit or lemon, think more orange or mango, and also not the deep, dark fruits of age), with a dusting of real and natural wood vanillans and light honey over a nice background of a young, newly tanned leather. All blending together in sweet harmony.

Superb. The palate is completely consistent - completely and as it should be - which brings the aromatics to the desired fruition (pun intended). The development is smooth, subtle and with growing black pepper to a sweet heat finish. Now some of you may react as though I'd just reviewed a rum and to be honest...

I could just as well have done so. This is a whisky that any lover of fine pure rum could easily find irresitable. Is it complex? Not yet, but it's gonna be. This is beauty of good younger spirit - the elements that you know will only get better, that are chock full of a bright future.

Now as a 12 year, this whisky is still affordable enough for us cheepskates (but affordable for a good single malt is definitely higher than that for rum).


Score (ten is best): 8. An excellent and more than drinkable example of the Highland style (whatever is left of that).
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