Dalmore 20 Years Old (43.6%)

An official release of Dalmore, a 20 year old, at 43.6%. Dalmore sits above the Cromarty Firth, its water jacketed stills building a thick, oily spirit. The Mackenzie clan ran it from 1867, and gave it the twelve pointed Royal Stag, after an ancestor saved King Alexander III from a charging stag in 1263.

Run through the distillery's unusual flat topped and water jacketed stills, for a heavy, rich make that suits aged sherry wood. A Pedro Ximenez cask added raisin, date, fig and a treacle sweetness. At oxidative maturity aldehydes and esters lend dried fruit while ellagitannins add a drying, tannic grip. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the rich, sherried core over the years. Dalmore's sherry comes largely from the aged Oloroso casks of Gonzalez Byass. Refill oak lets the full bodied Dalmore character lead, orange and dried fruit beneath.

At 43.6% it is smooth and honeyed. A rich, oily chocolate orange, with dried fruit, chocolate and orange from the cask. Soft orange and a treacly malt sit behind the cask. The close is long, fruit over a rich sherry. This is the rich, sherried Highland malt of Dalmore.