Here is an independent bottle I simply could not pass up: a young (7 year!) and quirky expression of Dalmore, which is probably best known for a stately 15-year distillery bottling that is filled with oranges, chocolate, cloves, and sherry notes. I reviewed their 12-year bottling long, long ago (seven years ago), and I've had the 15-year a few times since, though I've never formally reviewed it here.Hailing from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), this young Dalmore is filed under their "sweet, fruity, and mellow" category, and nicknamed Life's Simple Pleasures. Like all SMWS bottles, it's featured at full cask strength - which here is a rousing 58.9% ABV. And it features quite intriguing casking: the first five years were spent in ex-bourbon, while the final two were in a Spanish sweet red wine barrique ("cosecha" or harvest wine).
I've been increasingly a fan of red wine finishes lately, so the combination of big name distillery and curious recasking of a very young spirit proved impossible to resist. But how does all this taste...?
Nose: Tea, a distinct tea note, like I found in Edradour Caledonia. Tea is followed by figs, fresh cut grass, buttered toast. A dark, powdery chocolate. Quite a nice, attractive nose here. With a touch of water, I got some Vietnamese coffee sweetened with condensed milk, maybe some poached pears or even pear candy, and the grass and butter come forward a bit as well. As you delve deeper into the bottle, a meaty note comes through - something akin to fried duck (!). Not kidding: intensely savory.
Mouthfeel: Rich and silky.
Palate: Quite delicious - a big, rich savory meatiness (the official SMWS note is "pan-seared foie gras") is paired to glazed pears, honey, burnt brown sugar, and a deep, deep rich chocolate which assumes dominance and closes the development. Dark chocolate cake with chocolate fondant frosting. As the flavors develop, I get some ginger and more Earl Grey tea. With water, even stronger chocolate/cocao notes emerged, along with some of the expected sweet red wine flavors (which occasionally come across, intriguingly, as cherry soda).
Finish: Ginger, chocolate, and tight-grained oak come together in a very long finish.
Verdict: This was well-worth it, for me: it marries many interesting flavors together in a young yet graceful way. Oh, it's definitely young, but never too brash or aggressive - it comes across, instead, as lively, and even bouncy on the tongue. Especially with that bizarre fried duck note! It actually makes me want to go and review the 15-year Dalmore and see if any of the DNA is traceable between bottles.
Either way, it's obviously a high-quality spirit and that sweet red wine recasking does it some favors. I always get a little suspicious when a young cask is reracked so early into something as strong as red wine etc. - makes worry that it was a dud cask, dull spirit, and they are trying to give it a jump start. Not here, though; I think this was simply off-flavor-profile for Dalmore, and they happily let go into the wild. Worth exploring.
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