Dalmore Portwood
ABV: 46.5%
NAS
Aged in first fill ex-Bourbon barrel, then finished in Port pipes
Price: $85 usd
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Dalmore, «Big Meadowland » in Gaelic, was founded just north of Inverness in 1839 by Alexander Matheson. After 28 years of distilling, Matheson decided to let go of Dalmore and sold it to brothers from the Mackenzie clan. It’s them who brought the stag emblem and took Dalmore into the legend of the Clan Mackenzie. In 1263, the chief of Clan Mackenzie saved King Alexander III from a charging deer. To thank him, the King authorized the Clan Mackenzie to sport a royal deer as their blason.
Fast forward to the 1960s when it was bought from the Mackenzie’s by Whyte&Mackay (their biggest consumer for their blends). Until not so long ago, there was only a 12yo in their core range. It has since expanded a lot with some NAS, 12-15-18-25yo, and some very high-end expressions selling regularly over 10k.
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Color : rich deep amber hint of auburn
Nose : huge notes of the tawny cask, sweet berries, hint of mild alcohol.
Palate : orange zest, blackberry, creamy texture, loads of red fruits.
Finish : medium, chocolate, orange.
Comments: I knew I would love it already due to the Graham’s port tawny cask- my favorite type or port and at that my favorite port winery. This pour is more than welcoming, creamy rich texture with lovely smooth finish. Whisky aficionados can enjoy, and even non whisky drinkers loads of sweet port notes to lure and drinker in.