Dailuaine 12 Years Old 2011 Rare Casks (A & G Selection)

The bottler A & G Selection bottled this Dailuaine, a 12 year old, distilled in 2011, bottled at 56.6%, one of 218 bottles. Dailuaine sits at Carron on the Spey, a big, sherried Speyside malt rarely seen on its own. It had its own railway siding and a little locomotive, Dailuaine No.1, known as the Puggy.

The spirit was distilled for the heavy, full bodied spirit Dailuaine is known for, for a rich, meaty make that suits sherry wood. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, the oak letting the heavy, malty character lead. Integration folds eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) into the malt, the heavy body fuller and richer. A first fill sherry cask suits the robust spirit, dried fruit meeting the meaty weight. It sits near Aberlour, in the heart of Speyside by the River Spey. Single malt Dailuaine is rare as an official bottling, so most come from independents. The name is Gaelic for the green vale, after the hollow in which the distillery sits.

At a hearty 56.6% it carries real weight. Orchard fruit, malt and a warm spice, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A baked fruit and a warm spice lift it. A full, malty finish ends on dried fruit and a warm spice. This is one of Speyside's heavier single malts.