Dailuaine 15 Years Old 2009 Chairman’s Stock (Cadenhead’s)

Scotland's oldest independent bottler Cadenhead's bottled this Dailuaine, a 15 year old, distilled in 2009, bottled at 53.6%, one of 288 bottles. Dailuaine, whose name is Gaelic for the green vale, is a heavy, full bodied Speysider. Most of its make goes to blending, with a Flora and Fauna sixteen year old the regular single malt.

Run through the distillery's big copper stills, building the heavy Dailuaine style. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, the oak quiet behind the meaty malt. Through oxidative maturity esters concentrate, fruit turning to dried fruit over a rich, malty body. The rich, full bodied spirit takes cask flavour well, especially sherry wood. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, vanilla and fruit over a rich malt. Its rich, robust malt has long been a backbone of the Johnnie Walker blends. Most Dailuaine goes quietly into blends, a robust filler kept in part as single malt.

At cask strength 53.6% it is full bodied. Apple, dried fruit and a meaty edge, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The texture is full and rich, the fruit lifted by a meaty malt. The finish is deep, rich and savoury. This is Dailuaine's heavy, meaty Speyside style.