Dallas Dhu 31yo 1979/2010

Dallas Dhu 31yo 1979/2010

Vintage, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
58.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, fresh cut grass, malted grains, roast chicken, pear drops, green tea, hints of mushrooms. With water, roast chicken, fresh cut grass, lychees, pear drops. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, volatile, hot. 

Tasting:  Sour bitter. Malted grains, gooseberries, pear drops, fresh cut grass, white grapes, hints of green tea. With water, gooseberries, lychees, watermelons, pear drops, malted grains. 

Finish: Long. Gooseberries, white grapes, pear drops, malted grains, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Cask 1385. Very complex whisky, lots of fruit, a little meaty chicken, some grass and a big dollop of malt. Lots of very distinct notes, yet it’s quite subtle with no flavour predominant. The finish is very long, fruity and herbal.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dallas Dhu 32yo 1975/2007

Dallas Dhu 32yo 1975/2007

Cask Strength Collection, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside 
Pale gold
47.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rhubarb and custard sweets, soor ploom sweets, toffee, honey, vanilla, green apples, lime zest. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Soor ploom sweets, leather, celery salt, toffee, honey, lime zest, lemon curd, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Long. Peat, leather, lime zest, cinnamon, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Very sweet and tangy whisky, but with a dark smoky edge. The smoke is very faint, and only really appears on the finish. Plenty of bright sweet notes that I did not expect in a whisky that’s been in the bottle a while.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dallas Dhu 35yo 1979/2014

Dallas Dhu 35yo 1979/2014

Small Batch, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - Speyside 
Bright gold 
53.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cucumbers, roast pork, white pepper, green tea, nectarines. With water, honey, roast pork, soy sauce, cucumbers. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, expands, slightly tingly.  
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. White pepper, nectarines, honey, roast pork, fresh cut grass, five spice powder. With water, nectarines, dark chocolate, blackcurrants, soy sauce. 
Finish: Medium. Soy sauce, five spice powder, honey. 

Comments: 

Very meaty, sweet and savoury. Very like char siu pork on rice, not many whiskies have this vibe. Lots of unctuous thick sticky things on the tongue as well, with a slight bitter edge. Delicious. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dallas Dhu 24yo 1979/2003

Dallas Dhu 24yo 1979/2003

First Cask, The Malt Whisky Circle 
Single malt - Speyside 
White wine 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, custard apples, rose apples, pears, cream, hints of malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour. White grapes, rose apples, malted grains, pears, autumn leaves, hints of vanilla, hints of leather. 
Finish: Medium. Green tea, white grapes, malted grains, rose apples, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Cask 1382. Fruity, earthy and tangy, this whisky is redolent of certain juicy tropical fruits, and shares their thirst quenching properties. I didn’t have a lot more than a single dram, but if it isn’t too sacrilegious with a malt from a closed distillery, I'd love to have this in a highball or with ice.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dallas Dhu 20yo 1977/1997

Dallas Dhu 20yo 1977/1997

First Cask, The Malt Whisky Circle
Single malt - Speyside 
Straw
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, white grapes, watermelon rind, tobacco leaf, sultanas, lemon zest, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, cool, slightly chalky. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Sea salt, white grapes, watermelon rind, tobacco leaf, lemon sweets, sultanas, wet stones, hints of grilled meat. 
Finish: Long. Tobacco leaf, sea salt, wet stones, lemon sweets, leather. 

Comments: 

Cask 1118. Lovely old Dallas Dhu, from the Malt Whisky Circle, a bottler that no longer exists. Some of these are stunning, but this Dallas Dhu is not one of them. It’s good though, perhaps a little bit peatier and brinier than the average Dallas Dhu. There’s a whisper of smoke that brings to mind meat on a barbecue at the end. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Dallas Dhu 29yo 1981/2010

Dallas Dhu 29yo 1981/2010

Rare Auld, Duncan Taylor
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark gold
53% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peppermint, watermelon rind, white grapes, fresh cut grass, sweet peas, hints of dried pears. With water, kiwifruit, watermelon, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, static, warm, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sour. Watermelon rind, white grapes, white pepper, fresh cut grass, pomeloes, hints of lemons. With water, lemon zest, malted grains, leather. 
Finish: Medium. White grapes, lemons, fresh cut grass, dried pears. 

Comments: 

Cask 388. I like Dallas Dhu, it’s always a treat, and the whiskies tend to age very well. This one is no exception, lots of fruit and vegetal notes, as well as a fair bit of old bottle effect.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dallas Dhu 33 yo 1980/2014

Dallas Dhu 33 yo 1980/2014

Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
White wine
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, vanilla, cream, heather, honey, Scottish tablet, hints of peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, chewy, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour . White grapes, Scottish tablet, heather, black tea, hints of toast. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, white grapes, peaches. 

Comments: 

Can't be too much of this left in the world! It's alluringly fruity on the nose, even sweet, but on the tongue it's quite tart. Great fruity tannic finish. As with many closed distilleries, I was surprised by the quality of the final product. Old, rare, delicious. What's not to like?

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 45.20 (Dallas Dhu 31 yo 1975/2007)

SMWS 45.20 (Dallas Dhu 31 yo 1975/2007)

2007, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Bright gold
49.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pineapples, peaches, plums, honey, vanilla, hints of apples, hints of brine.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, clumps together.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Pineapples, plums, peaches, apples, orange peel, cloves, hints of brine.
Finish: Medium. Pineapples, brine, honey, peaches.

Comments:

Tangy and more than a little tropical. Lots of fruit, very estery, with a slight hint of salt that is pretty attractive. You don't get many whiskies like this often. This was the unanimous favourite of the evening.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Dallas Dhu 25 yo 1971/1996

Dallas Dhu 25 yo 1971/1996

Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Pineapples, honey, rhubarb crumble, peaches, lemon sweets, tablet, hints of apples.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, turns syrupy.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Pineapples, peaches, photocopy paper, honey, apples, hints of lemons, hints of oranges.
Finish: Medium. Lemons, peaches, pineapples, photocopy paper.

Comments:

Laden with honeyed fruit. There's a slight hint of dusty paper that may be the result of over-aging, but it seems a shame to bring this up, given that the distillery is no longer around. The whisky is nearly flawless, and is a very decent post-meal sticky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Dallas Dhu 1982/2005

Dallas Dhu 1982/2005

Distillery Labels, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
40% ABV
Mini

Nose: Carrots, rum and raisin, oak, leather, apples, hints of peat.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slightly astringent.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Beetroot, leather, apples, carrots, hints of peat, hints of caramel popcorn.
Finish: Long. Peanuts, orange peel, carrots, apples.

Comments:

Sweet and vegetal. Not your usual Dallas Dhu, and more than a little savoury. A little like a beetroot salad sprinkled with popcorn. Quite enjoyable, especially after a nice dinner. Pretty decent dessert whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 45.25 (Dallas Dhu 33 yo 1975/2008)

SMWS 45.25 (Dallas Dhu 33 yo 1975/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Golden brown
48.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, tobacco leaf, raisins, vanilla, salt caramel, hints of oak.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, rich, thick, tingly.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Coffee, custard, melon, honey, tobacco, strawberries.
Finish: Long. Slightly astringent, chillies, honey.

Comments:

Extremely fine whisky! Honey-laden, slightly spicy, tangy like a Cuban cigar. Perfect body that rolls around on the tongue. I love this. It's one of the best I have ever tasted.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Dallas Dhu 26 yo 1979/2006

Dallas Dhu 26 yo 1979/2006 Chieftain's Choice

Chieftain's Choice, Ian Macleod
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
48.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Ginger, white chocolate, soy sauce, strawberries, vanilla, tobacco leaf.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, oily.
Tasting: Sweet. Cigars, tobacco leaf, ginger, raisins, coriander, orange peel, apples, pears.
Finish: Long. Smoke, molasses, soy sauce, apples.

Comments:

Cask #90721, 348 bottles. The rum finish lends ginger and chocolate to the whisky. It also tastes vaguely of tobacco, quite Cuban. Very tasty indeed, but it took me a while to get into this. I decided against buying the remaining half bottle, as I think I prefer the unfinished Dallas Dhus.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 45.24 (Dallas Dhu 32 yo 1975/2008)

SMWS 45.24 (Dallas Dhu 32 yo 1975/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Golden yellow
46.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toast, chocolate, maple syrup, apples, lemon curd.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, smooth, thickens slightly.
Tasting: Sour bitter. Grapefruit, toast, lemons, chinese pears, hints of vanilla, hints of cinnamon, hints of sandalwood. With water, becomes more floral, is that rose I taste?
Finish: Long. Spicy, warm, bitter quinine, hints of wasabi.

Comments:

I don't normally dilute anything under 50%, as I can't then detect the more subtle aromas. This one however took water very well, becoming more floral and lighter. Overall, quite complex, less fruity than initially hinted at by the nose. I found more in every sip. Great cask from the SMWS, I think I'm going to enjoy being a member. Unfortunately, this distillery goes on the list of those that shouldn't have been closed. Maybe they could make it a working museum distillery?

Verdict:

I like this a lot.