The Dalmore 15 Year Old comes in two different forms, which is a little unusual. One form is half aged in bourbon casks and half aged in sherry casks, which is pretty standard Dalmore procedure. The other form is aged exclusively in sherry casks. The way to tell the difference is the exclusively sherry finish will say “matured entirely in sherry casks”. Almost all readers buying a bottle today will get the 50/50 version, and this is what I’m reviewing here.
The nose reveals oak, trademark Dalmore orange flavors, raisins & leather. More raisins come forth as the drink is allowed to breathe. It’s a sweet, caressing nose that is pleasant but not sickly sweet.
The overwhelming tastes are of toffee and leather. Also present are citrus fruit, raisins, cherries and a mild spice, but they’re buried underneath all the generic toffee sweetness. This is by no means a complex whisky, and tastes almost like a liqueur in the sense that it doesn’t do much once it’s on your palate.
This Scotch comes recommended for lovers of sweet, simple, ‘dessert’ whiskies – and I say that without any negative connotations, as each to their own with regards to taste. It’s drinkable beyond what I expect of a Scotch, and it would be extremely easy to drink this over an afternoon and evening session. If you appreciate complexity and strong flavor from your whisky, look elsewhere. Plenty of other sherry finished whiskies will give you more.
Dalmore 15 Year Old Information
- Type: 15 year old single malt Scotch whisky
- Region: Highland
- ABV: 40%
- Price guide: 45 British Pounds