Dailuaine 2011 Ch7 (Chapter 7 (Ch7))

An 11 year old Dailuaine from the bottler Chapter 7 (Ch7), distilled in 2011, from cask 307367, bottled at 51.5%, one of 309 bottles. Dailuaine is a robust Speyside distillery at Carron, making a full bodied malt mostly for blends. It had its own railway siding and a little locomotive, Dailuaine No.1, known as the Puggy.

It was drawn off three wash and three spirit stills, for a rich, meaty make that suits sherry wood. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla beneath the robust, full bodied spirit. In integration lactones (coconut) and vanillin (vanilla) knit with the malt, fruit deepening to dried fruit. Years in oak round the spirit, the fruit deepening to dried fruit and a savoury spice. Maturation in the cool north east keeps the rich spirit balanced over the years. The name is Gaelic for the green vale, after the hollow in which the distillery sits.

At cask strength 51.5% it is full bodied. A heavy, malty fruitiness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The texture is full and rich, the fruit lifted by a meaty malt. The finish runs meaty, fruity and warm. This is the rich, full bodied Speyside malt of Dailuaine.