Dailuaine 15 Years Old 2009 Cask #DU925 (Hidden Spirits)

The bottler Hidden Spirits bottled this Dailuaine, a 15 year old, distilled in 2009, from cask DU925, bottled at 50.7%, one of 283 bottles. Dailuaine is a heavy, fruity Speyside single malt from near Aberlour. The distillery was founded in 1852 by William Mackenzie on the banks of the Spey at Carron.

Made in large copper stills for a rich, robust make, to build a robust, malty, sherry loving character. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla beneath the robust, full bodied spirit. Into oxidative maturity, slow air ingress builds fruity ethyl esters (apple and dried fruit) over the meaty, malty depth. Most Dailuaine goes quietly into blends, a robust filler kept in part as single malt. Refill oak lets the robust Dailuaine character lead, malt and dried fruit beneath. Water comes from the Bailliemullich Burn, the spirit drawn off three wash and three spirit stills. Single malt Dailuaine is rare as an official bottling, so most come from independents.

At its natural 50.7% it is concentrated. A robust, sherried maltiness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Beneath it run dried fruit, malt and a savoury edge. The close is long, fruit over a rich malt. This is the robust, sherried malt of Carron.