Dailuaine 13 Year (Berry Brothers & Rudd)

 

The second of five Berry Brothers and Rudd bottles I obtained just after their DC opening. They actually have quite a few bottles I'm interested in, but until my next employment opportunity comes through I'll be savoring this interesting 13 (?)-year Dailuaine with a Moscatel finish. 

Dailuaine 15 Year (SMWS 41.150 "A Voluptuous Vortex")

The fifth of six samples offered at the June 2023 outturn event of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. This was a 15 year sherry-finished Dailuaine, bottled at 60.9% ABV. 

Dailuaine 15 Year (SMWS 41.143 "A Junior Suite at the Cask Resort")

 

Gee golly, I sure do like and respect Dailuaine! The word on Dailuaine has certainly spread rapidly in the internet age, and I have even heard the distillery mentioned by name at whisky-centric bars. One of the constellation of lesser known Diageo distilleries that gets used heavily for blends, the distillate is very well respected and makes for some lovely, delicate single malts. 

This is a single cask bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), full sherry maturation: 12 years in an American oak ex-Oloroso butt, 3 years in a first fill Spanish oak ex-Oloroso butt, bottled at 59.1% ABV. Named by comedian/actor/influencer Neil Patrick Harris, who commented "I giggle when I think I'm sniffing a butt, but I get sober fast when I see it's 15 years old." Hahahah!

Dailuaine 15 year (SMWS 41.147 "Brooding Armchair Dram")

 

Oh Dailuaine - I love you. What a great distillery! Every bottle I've ever had from them - all independent bottlers, because Diageo is foolish and won't invest in them as a single malt release - has been lovely, lovely. This is a single cask release from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), nicknamed Brooding Armchair Dram (alright!), and with a primarily bourbon maturation (13 years) but with a rich PX sherry finish (2 years). 

Dailuaine 11 Year (SMWS 41.145 "A Pilgrimage of Flavor")

 

It's safe to say at this point that I'm an enormous fan of Dailuaine, and will buy almost any bottling for their spirit that I find. The last bottle I had, a 9 year from Single Cask Nation, was just lovely front to back. The last sherried version I had, a Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") bottle nicknamed "Jam-Packed With Darkness" was amazing, as it featured the signature "watermelon Jolly rancher"/"Sour Patch kid" note I get with Dailuaine, but with tons of rich sherry notes overlaid on top, which was surprisingly successful.

Dailuaine 9 Year (Single Cask Nation)

 

Dailuaine is one of those "Never heard of it" distilleries that I truly love, right up there with Ardmore and Linkwood. And, perhaps, Loch Lomond and Tomintoul. But Dailuaine is always exceedingly high quality. I've only ever seen independent bottlings of it - and this one is from indie bottler Single Cask Nation (created by the podcasters who made One Nation Under Whisky) will hopefully continue the trend. Single Cask Nation as a bottler has really blown up in recent years, and I see it constantly on Reddit.

David vs Goliath - The Battle of the Single Cask Sherry Bombs

 

I normally don't do posts like this, but I couldn't resist - I got both these bottles about a week apart and they begged for comparison. 

DAVID: A 13 year bottle of Dailuaine (a distillery owned and operated by Diageo, 98% of their production goes into Johnnie Walker), matured for 11 years in an Oloroso butt and another 2 year finish in a Pedro Ximenez butt. Bottled at 57.5% ABV by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). 

GOLIATH: A 12 year bottle Macallan (a renowned distillery owned and operated by The Edrington Group, famous for its high prices and sherry casking), matured for 10 years in an Oloroso butt and then revatted and finished for 2 years in a Pedro Ximenez butt. Bottled at 63.9% ABV by the SMWS.

So we have two massive sherry bombs. Can the smaller distillery keep up? Let's find out...

Dailuaine 13 Year (SMWS 41.142 "Jam-Packed with Darkness")

 

I discovered Dailuaine through the lens of single cask independent bottlings; not the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") as you might think from reading this blog, but actually Signatory. That bottle was fresh, bright, full of lovely candied citrus, and had a very distinct tart/sour watermelon Jolly Rancher flavor that I later found in other bottlings. I was immediately a fan. 

Dailuaine 7 Year (Old Particular)

 

The 200th bottle reviewed! 

One of my very favorite underdogs of the single malt universe: Speyside's Dailuaine, which has a wonderful juiciness about it, specifically a mouth-watering watermelon note that is hard to resist. So when I found this 7 year expression from Douglas Laing's independent bottler Old Particular, I didn't resist - I bought it right up. Matured in a single sherry butt for seven years, bottled at 48.4%, and in craft presentation. How is it??

Dailuaine 12 Year (SMWS 41.139 "A Complex Character")

 

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...

Dailuaine 11 Year (SMWS 41.132 "A Fragrant Paradise")

 

This is the second independent bottling of Dailuaine I've had lately, but it's far the superior one. This one is subtitled "A Fragrant Paradise" by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), and is aged for 11 years in a refill hogshead, no coloring, no filtering, and bottled at a very nice 57.2%. Dailuaine is a Speyside distillery that is little known but beginning to appear here and there in independent bottle form. And worth seeking out. 

Signatory Dailuaine 12 Year NCF

 

Another interesting independent bottle, this time from Diageo blend monster Dailuaine ("Green valley"), which is traditionally blended into Johnnie Walker. This time it's aged 12 years in a hogshead, bottled at 46% with no filtering and no coloring (indeed, it's a beautiful light straw color). What flavors?