Dalmore Valour

Dalmore Valour

Official bottling 
Single malt - North Highlands 
Dark amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, blackcurrant cordial, chocolate, golden syrup, cinnamon, cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, expands. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Chocolate, raisins, coffee, cloves, cinnamon, oak, vanilla, honey. 
Finish: Short. Honey, golden syrup, blackcurrant cordial, coffee. 

Comments: 

A fruity sherried malt, usually only available in travel retail. It’s got some character behind it, but sadly it’s a little thin at 40%. Body-wise, and finish-wise, could do with a little more alcohol to highlight the flavours.

Verdict:

I like this.

Dalmore 9yo 2011/2020

Dalmore 9yo 2011/2020

No Nonsense Whisky
Single malt - North Highlands 
Straw

60.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh cut grass, vanilla, malted grains, vanilla, hints of pear drops. With water, lemon juice, vanilla, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, astringent, fiery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Lemon juice, fresh cut grass, vanilla, fresh baked bread, green tea. With water, lemon juice, dark chocolate, green tea. 

Finish: Medium. Green tea, malted grains, dark chocolate, hints of pear drops. 

Comments: 

Never had anything from this bottler before, who I believe started life as a whisky review site / blog. Anyway, unsherried Dalmore is unusual and shouldn’t be turned down. This one is grassy and wild, lots of citrus and bitter notes. Needs a bit more aging perhaps.

Verdict:

I like this.

Dalmore 25yo 1992/2017

Dalmore 25yo 1992/2017

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead 
Single malt - North Highlands 
Golden, hints of green 
59% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, chocolate, malted grains, barley sugar, vanilla, hints of fresh cut grass. With water, vanilla, lemon zest, honey, barley sugar. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Fresh baked bread, vanilla, lemon zest, greengages, hints of cornflakes. With water, malted grains, lemon zest, greengages, barley sugar. 
Finish: Long. Chocolate, green chillies, lemon zest, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Old Dalmore, bourbon cask, quite a rarity. Lots of cereal and green fruit on the tongue and nose, and it finishes with a spicy bang. But it lacks a little in complexity for such an old dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Dalmore 13yo 2007/2020

Dalmore 13yo 2007/2020

Whisky Broker
Single malt - North Highlands
Amber red
54.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, red grapes, damson jam, malted grains, walnuts, hints of coffee. With water, raisins, pear drops, golden syrup, hints of chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, slippery, tingly, mouth coating.  
Tasting:  Sweet. Fresh baked bread, chocolate, walnuts, vanilla sponge, golden syrup. With water, walnuts, coffee, raisins, hints of candied orange peel.
Finish: Long. Vanilla sponge, walnuts, golden syrup, chocolate. 

Comments: 

Gloriously sherried Dalmore. Not a lot of independent bottling of Dalmore around, but this is a very decent dram indeed. Lots of sweet, jammy classic sherried notes, tapering to a long bitter finish. Great stuff. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Dalmore 18 yo

Dalmore 18 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - North Highlands
Amber, tinge of copper
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, toffee, red grapes, leather, cream, vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, turns watery, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Toffee, chocolate, cola nuts, coffee, vanilla custard, hints of orange peel. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla custard, chocolate, toffee, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Not as rubbery or eggy as some other Dalmores I've had. I tasted this along with the King Alexander III, and the difference was apparent. But then I haven't had a Dalmore for a while. Time to get back on that particular horse. This one is gentle and well sherried, chocolaty, orange peel finish, the egginess translates into some great vanilla custard notes. Very nice indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 13.40 (Dalmore 11 yo 1996/2008)

SMWS 13.40 (Dalmore 11 yo 1996/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - North Highlands
Orange brown
62.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, rubber, caramel, new plastic, sponge cake, molasses, vanilla, cream, hints of chillies. With water, sweeter, freshly baked cake, toast, chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, tingly, harsh, astringent.
Tasting:Sweet sour. Toffee, rubber, sponge cake, raisins, caramel, vanilla, orange peel, leather, hints of brown paper. With water, chocolate, toast, nutmeg.
Finish: Short. Orange peel, vanilla, sponge cake, molasses.

Comments:

Surprisingly loose. The dark colour suggests thick, sweet, heavy whisky, but this one isn't like that at all. There are some typical Dalmore, rubbery, sulphury flavours when neat, but with water, it opens up into chocolatey, sweet, spicy notes.

Verdict:

I like this.

Dalmore Gran Reserva

Dalmore Gran Reserva

Official bottling
Single malt - North Highlands
Dark amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, vanilla, red wine, sherry, peanuts, raisins, winter melon, hints of lemons.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, warm.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Red wine, vanilla, honey, leather, chocolate, coconut, toffee, hints of peanuts.
Finish: Long. Lemons, chocolate, raisins, winter melon.

Comments:

This is a dram I've wanted to taste properly for a long time. I've had it when out with friends, and in situations when it just seemed a little too rude to start tapping tasting notes into my phone. It's well worth the effort though - sweet and rich, with chocolatey warm sweet flavours. Lovely.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Dalmore King Alexander III

Dalmore King Alexander III

Official bottling
Single malt - North Highlands
Dark amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, cream, raisins, sherry, marmalade, toffee, chocolate, hints of salt caramel .
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slightly watery around the edges.
Tasting: Sweet. Cream, sherry, cornflakes, raisins, vanilla, marmalade, chocolate, hints of sea salt.
Finish: Short. Chocolate, raisins, cornflakes.

Comments:

Very sherried and very sweet. Nice notes of cream and cornflakes, lacks the usual Dalmore rubberiness. This is a very well blended whisky, made from spirit matured in many types of casks, among them Madeira, bourbon, Marsala, sherry, port, and French wines.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 13.41 (Dalmore 11 yo 1996/2008)

SMWS 13.41 (Dalmore 11 yo 1996/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - North Highlands
Amber gold
62.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sherry, evaporated milk, sponge cake, chocolate, dulce de leche, hints of sulphur.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, mouth coating, expands slightly.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Toast, sherry, matches, egg yolks, condensed milk, honey, raisins, hints of cranberry.
Finish: Long. Yoghurt, hoppy beer, fresh cut grass.

Comments:

The kind folks behind the bar at the SMWS tasting room let me smell 2 Dalmores before I bought. This one smelt a little more chemical and artificial. Those notes turned out to be cooked, sweet egg yolks, like the kind you get in Chinese egg rolls. Sponge cake too, with lots and lots of milk - condensed, evaporated, you name it. Tasty.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Dalmore 12 yo

Dalmore 12 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - North Highlands
Orange gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, cocoa, orange peel, cream, hint of coffee, hint of green bean.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, syrupy, creamy.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Candied orange peel, marmalade, dark chocolate, honey, bananas. Bitter chocolate fruit and nut bar, if there were such a thing.
Finish: Medium. Bitter cocoa, raisins.

Comments:

Aged in Oloroso sherry butts. Not quite a sherry monster though - there's a pleasing cocoa-ey bitterness running through the whisky. I imagine this would be quite pleasant with Maltesers or bitter chocolate, the usual accompaniment that everyone seems to be prescribing for whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Dalmore Cigar Malt

Dalmore Cigar Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - Northern Highlands
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, vanilla, hazelnuts, orange peel, raisins, hint of brown paper.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, smooth, thick, velvety, viscous.
Tasting: Sweet. Sherry, vanilla ice cream, cinnamon, orange marmalade, caramel.
Finish: Short. Muted, oak, hint of orange peel.

Comments:

Dalmore markets this as an accompaniment for cigars - I guess taken in the drawing room after donning one's smoking jacket. I guess that might work, as the whisky has lots of bold bright flavours (screams "Highlander" to me) which wouldn't be overwhelmed by tobacco. Personally I think it's a great dram on its own, no need for cigars. Maybe if I got a bottle of this and some good cigars (and a free pass from the Pretty Lady) I could test this hypothesis.

Verdict:

I like this.