Dailuaine 21 Years Old – Marbled Treasures

A 21 year old Dailuaine, a distillery bottling, at 54.3%. Dailuaine is a heavy, fruity Speyside single malt from near Aberlour. Most of its make goes to blending, with a Flora and Fauna sixteen year old the regular single malt.

The spirit was distilled in large conical necked stills on Bailliemullich Burn water, for a rich, meaty make that suits sherry wood. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, vanilla and a soft honey behind the rich malt. 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. In 1889 it became the first distillery to use the pagoda roof, the Doig Ventilator designed by Charles Doig. It sits near Aberlour, in the heart of Speyside by the River Spey. A first fill sherry cask suits the robust spirit, dried fruit meeting the meaty weight.

At cask strength 54.3% it is full bodied. Baked fruit, fig and a savoury depth, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A baked fruit and a warm spice lift it. A full, malty finish ends on dried fruit and a warm spice. This is the robust, sherried malt of Carron.