Dailuaine 9 Years Old 2008 Cask #081714 (Scotland-and-Malts)

The bottler Scotland-and-Malts bottled this Dailuaine, a 9 year old, distilled in 2008, from cask 081714, bottled at 49.8%. Dailuaine is the rich, malty Speyside single malt that helped build the Johnnie Walker blends. It had its own railway siding and a little locomotive, Dailuaine No.1, known as the Puggy.

It was run through the distillery's big copper stills, for a big, full Speyside spirit. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, vanilla and a soft honey behind the rich malt. In these extractive early years the oak gives vanillin as vanilla and oak lactones as coconut over a robust, meaty malt. Years in oak round the spirit, the fruit deepening to dried fruit and a savoury spice. Its big stills give a heavy, full bodied spirit that takes sherry wood especially well. Most Dailuaine goes quietly into blends, a robust filler kept in part as single malt.

At a hearty 49.8% it carries real weight. A rich, full bodied sweetness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. It is robust and fruity, the full bodied spirit shining through. A full, malty finish ends on dried fruit and a warm spice. This is Dailuaine, a backbone of the great blends.