Ah.... my beloved Dailuaine. Right up there with Ardmore on my pantheon of "my favorite underdog drams." This bottle comes from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) and is bottle code 41.139, nicknamed "A Complex Character." 12 years matured in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, bottled at a wonderful 60.9% ABV. Let's see how the usual Dailuaine "watermelon" note comes across...
Here are the official notes:
The complex nose held juicy pineapple and watermelon; vanilla fudge and puff candy; then thyme and sage in a potting shed. The palate’s main thrust delivered honey, Danish pastries, mango pudding with custard, Starburst and Skittles – the finish had clean oak, lemon peel and white pepper. The reduced nose returned to a fruity dimension – stewed apples, ripe pears and lime flavoured fondant sweets – other comments included wildflowers, rosewater, gorse and hawthorn; candied angelica on sponge cake and vending machine gumballs. The palate tasted older than the stated age – juniper, limoncello, gewürztraminer and perfumed cigarettes; spearmint Softmints, oak and vanilla.
Let's check it out!:
Nose: Amazing. Powdered candy (like Smarties), custard, pineapple, watermelon. Extremely sweet yet ethereal nose.
Mouthfeel: Oily and medium-thickness.
Palate: Among my favorite all-time palates here: a huge burst of sweet fruity candy, like (as the official notes say) Starburst and Skittles. Watermelon candies. Candies with that artificial fruit profile, like Nerds or Runts. Everything is sweet and vibrant and exploding with flavor. With water, it's like a flower explosion: rosewater, geraniums, lavender, and a handful of herbs as well. Even more. Delicious. Liquid happiness.
Finish: Quite clean - oak tannins, lemon candy, extending outwards for a medium length.
Verdict: My favorite expression of Dailuaine to date. This is absolutely bright, vibrant stuff, and worth finding if you can at all. An interesting Scotch to say the least. Sunshine in a bottle. Highly recommended.
No comments:
Post a Comment