Dalmore 15 Review and Tasting Notes

The Story

The Dalmore is among the most highly regarded scotch distilleries and is well known for its characteristic orange peel flavor profile.

The Dalmore 15 spends its first 12 years maturing in American white oak ex-bourbon casks.  However, this is where things get far, far more interesting, as the whisky is then split into three even shares which spend the final 3 years of maturation in 3 different types of sherry casks, Amoroso, Apostles, and Matusalem oloroso.  At the end of this, the final maturation occurs when the three strains are mixed into a single sherry butt to allow the flavors to optimally fuse.

I was very excited about this bottle.  As a sherried scotch lover, a simple sherry cask finish will get me going, but three different types of sherry casks mingled into one scotch!  A fifteen year old blend, which was at the time of my first tasting, the oldest scotch I'd ever had!  Plus, at ~$75 (depending on who you buy from) it was definitely at the upper limit of my price range.

Thus it was with great disappointment that I cracked open the bottle and was... well, utterly unimpressed.  It was entirely mediocre, and there was some sort of unpleasant tang to it.  I wish I'd recorded tasting notes, but you'll have to just deal with that lingering impression.

I was horribly disappointed.  This was an expensive present, and it looked really, really good on paper too!

I turned to Google to figure out what was the matter.  Surely this highly regarded distiller hadn't gotten its reputation from this liquid.  Maybe I'd gotten a defective bottle.

Interestingly, when you turn to the Master of Malt Reviews for this bottle, you see that quite a few reviewers complain of foul tastes.  I also noted that one or two of them said that the bottle improved with decanting.

I put the stopper back in and more or less forgot about it for a handful of months, opening it just once or twice to take a sniff.

Then I tried it again, and... oh.  Oh my.

This is one hell of a scotch.


Tasting Notes

Visuals: I rarely mention such things, but this is a gorgeous bottle.  The silver stag contrasted with the nut brown scotch is absolutely beautiful.

Nose: All the resiny notes of a deeply sherried malt are there, with cured leather and dried paint mingling with an apricot and orange zest fruitiness.  Next to no alcohol burn.

Palate: This is where this scotch comes alive.  There is a burst of brown sugar and caramel followed by an orange marmalade.  A trio of spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger - attack just behind it.  The mouth is coated by a thick and oily feel that compounds the flavors.  The oak hides underneath it all.  The balance is exquisite.

Finish:  The finish is medium length and sticky, and my tongue feels as though it has been coated with a sherry resin.  The fruits linger beautifully, and a surprising smokiness comes in at the tail end.


Review

I love this scotch.  Frankly, this is among my favorites.  Ever.

There are a few things worth mentioning.  First, this malt is intensely sherried on the nose, sort of like what you'd expect out of a malt that had aged for 15 years in sherry casks as opposed to spending the first 12 in ex-bourbon casks.  It has all of the thick and resiny flavors you'd expect of an old sherry.

Second, where the nose is of an intensely sherried malt, the palate brings wonderful balance.  You can taste the 9 years spent in ex-bourbon casks, as the sherry profile balances perfectly with the more standard scotch profile.  If there is one thing I could say - and keep repeating - about this malt, it would be the almost unbelievable balance.

Third, and in that same vein, be forewarned: this is not a dram for when you want to be attacked.  This is not a Corryvreckan or A'bunadh come to overpower you and demand your admiration.  This one seeks to enchant, to be savored, to whisper sweet nothings into your ears.

Overall, I adore this scotch.  It is the most expertly balanced scotch I have ever tasted.  I recommend this highly.  It has also put the Dalmore 12 and Dalmore 18 squarely on my to-taste list, although, if the Dalmore 15 is at the outer edge of my price range, then the 18 is a good step and a half beyond it.  Bummer.

Scotch Dreams Score: 95/100