Dailuaine 12 Years Old 2010 Cask #303771 (The Vintage Malt Whisky Co Ltd.)

A Dailuaine of a 12 year old chosen by the bottler The Vintage Malt Whisky Co Ltd, distilled in 2010, from cask 303771, bottled at 54.5%, one of 300 bottles. Dailuaine is a heavy, fruity Speyside single malt from near Aberlour. In 1889 it became the first distillery to use the pagoda roof, the Doig Ventilator designed by Charles Doig.

It was distilled for the heavy, full bodied spirit Dailuaine is known for, building the heavy Dailuaine style. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, vanilla and a soft honey behind the rich malt. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin settling into vanilla as ethyl esters lend a riper orchard fruit over the meaty malt. Maturation in the cool north east keeps the rich spirit balanced over the years. Its rich, robust malt has long been a backbone of the Johnnie Walker blends. It passed to DCL and Scottish Malt Distillers in the 1920s and was later modernised.

At a hearty 54.5% it carries real weight. A heavy, malty fruitiness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A dried fruit and a malty depth give it weight. The finish is long, rich and savoury. This is Dailuaine's heavy, meaty Speyside style.