Dailuaine 16 Years Old 2008 Cask #131 (Alistair Walker Whisky Company)

This Dailuaine was bottled by the bottler Alistair Walker Whisky Company, a 16 year old, distilled in 2008, from cask 131, bottled at 54.4%, one of 293 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.

Run through the distillery's big copper stills, for the rich, full bodied make Dailuaine is known for. Maturation in an Oloroso cask laid dried fruit over the meaty, malty spirit. At oxidative maturity aldehydes and esters lend dried fruit while ellagitannins add a drying, savoury grip. A first fill sherry cask suits the robust spirit, dried fruit meeting the meaty weight. In 1889 it became the first distillery to use the pagoda roof, the Doig Ventilator designed by Charles Doig. Most of its make goes to blending, with a Flora and Fauna sixteen year old the regular single malt.

At cask strength 54.4% it is full bodied. Dried fruit, malt and a rich, savoury depth, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. A dried fruit and a malty depth give it weight. A full, malty finish ends on dried fruit and a warm spice. This is the robust, sherried malt of Carron.