Scotland, Northern Highlands: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

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Dalmore

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Dalmore distillery

Dalmore Distillery
Alness,
Ross-shire IV17 OUT
+44 1349 882 362
Owner: Whyte & Mackay Ltd
Web site: www.thedalmore.com
Creation date 1839

Photos

The distillery has been founded in 1839 by Alexander Matheson and is settled on the banks of the Cromarty Firth, facing the fertile Black Isle.
The aim of Matheson by creating this distillery was not to run it, but to hire it. The first tenants of the distillery were the family Sutherland. Among the members of this family, Margaret Sutherland hired the distillery from 1860 to 1866. Her nickname was "Sometime distiller" because she only worked when she had time to...
Andrew Mackenzie took over the lease in 1866 after a short period (less than one year) when Robert Pattison hired the distillery.
Andrew joined together with his friends William and Charles to found the Mackenzie Brothers company.
Business was good and the production has been doubled in 1874 by adjunction of two new stills. The Mackenzie brothers acquired the distillery in 1891.
Business began to become worse from 1910 and the distillery had to close for about 10 years. During this time, the distillery has been used by the British army to produce mines. The stocks have first been move to some other place.
All the casks were brought back to the distillery in 1920 and the production resumed in 1921 after important alteration works. The Mackenzie were close friends of James Whyte and Charles MacKay whose company, Whyte & MacKay took the control over the distillery some years later.
The production capacity of Dalmore has been doubled again in 1966.
The company has been renamed in 1996 in J.B.B. (Greater Europe) and become Kindal Spirits Ltd in 2001, before being renamed again in 2003 in White and MacKay Ltd.
A great part of the production is used in the blends Whyte and MacKay and the Claymore

For further information, please see the web site of the Dalmore distillery or of its owner Whyte & Mackay. I am very grateful to the distillery for having validated the content of this page.

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

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Dalmore: official bottlings
 

Dalmore 12 years
Age
 12 years
Alcohol
 43°
Cask
 Sherry
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros< 25 euros
 
  The colour is amber and the nose full, fresh and voluptuous. The nose is marked by spices, fruits, sherry and candied orange.
The palate is dryer and confirms the nose.
The finish is nice and long.
A very good malt, warm and voluptuous.

(la Maison du Whisky)

 The Highlands whisky is a good whisky, no more no less in my opinion. The finish, slightly dry, summarizes perfectly the impression left by this single malt. Dry and without too much depth, but a rather honest whisky. A rather good quality-price rating as well...

The conclusions of the second tasting were rather different. A smooth whisky, with character and a rather interesting finish. Some lightly spicy hints.

The nose is marked by sherry with some hints of gingerbread. In the palate, this whisky needs some time to reveal its secrets, and some nice spicy notes on a malted background appears after a while. The finish is sweet and rather long, with some remote woody notes.

Comment by Henrik Johansson

Appearance: Full gold ranging to copper.
Nose: Medium sharpness. Coffey, butter floral, feints dominate.
Diluted it becomes richer. Cereals appear, less feints, more esters. Cola nose. Very pleasant.
Flavour: Very rich and wild. Fruit pulp, harvested hay and breakfast cereals. Stable, grassy, a little sweet, green leaves and coumarin.
Development: After an hour the aromas of the dram have not subsided noticeably in their intensity. Only slightly more grassy and slightly softer. Flavour is now soft and mellow, mouth cooling.
Comments: A nice and rich dram with descent balance. Overall it reminded me of hay.

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Dalmore
21 years
Age
 21 years
Alcohol
 43°
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
 
The colour is old gold with orange glints.
The nose is full and denotes ripe fruits (apricot, orange) hints.
The palate is smooth and elegant. It develops on orange, toffee and sweet spices on a slightly peaty background (oily peat).
The finish comes back on the citrus hints and smoke.

(la Maison du Whisky)

The very fruity nose recalls apricot and orange, and denotes a slightly medicinal hint (ether). Peat is present in the palate, mixed with a kind of acidity (citrus) and some light spicy hints, but does not really have the depth one could expect. The finish is very long and pleasant, recalling smoke and orange.

A very pleasant nose, perfumed and complex, revealing orange and ripe fruits hints. In the palate, a very nice complexity too, with slightly acid citrus fruit notes, malt, chocolate and even menthol hints, together with some discreetly woody hints. A lingering finish, with woody notes and some smoke hints.

The spicy nose with a clear impression of smoke announces an exceptional whisky. Smells of fruit (plum) and orange skin seems to appear on the background. In the palate, a nice and complex impression of malt with some metallic notes and just a touch of cashew nut. Some citrus fruit hints, chocolate. The finish is lingering and pleasant, and the malt memory associated to a very light bitterness remains for a while, together with some orange or tangerine hints.
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Dalmore
Cigar Malt

Age
 no age statement
Alcohol
 40°
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros< 25 euros
Dalmore cigar malt
Colour:
Deep, golden mahogany.

Nose:
Firm and positive. An outstanding array of malty congeners explode in a complex, distinguished manner. Elegant and refined. Pleasant notes of citrus, heavy fruits flaunt themselves in a stylish but forceful bouquet - yet an even balance prevails as the soft sherry tones complete this gallery of aromas.

Taste:
The strong malty flavours tantalise the tongue - covering it with a cloak of classic flavours which linger long in the mouth. This outstanding taste is a perfect accompaniment with the finest of tobacco - both compliment each other. However, to fully appreciate these fine attributes time must be allowed in the mouth - the repository of knowledge and fulfillment. A multitude of flavours rise to the occasion and generate a glowing aftertaste.

(comment from distillery)

The nose is rather interesting, even if it is clearly dominated by malt, with some nice peaty hints, wet undergrowth smells and meat (fresh meat?). Sherry hints are also present. In the palate, it takes a turn for the worse. The 40% alcohol give an watery impression, something like cold coffee with water added. Could be done for the association with the cigar... Anyway, some higher alcohol percentage would give a better feeling. Some chocolate hints and still watery impression. The finish is nice and complex. Interesting malt, but no more...

A very beautiful nose marked by both sherry and very pleasant fine wood notes. Some fruit hints on the background (plum). In the palate, the same pleasant impression of walnut and sherry. A light fruity bitterness. No large scale of tastes, but a concentration on two or three very pleasant flavours. The finish is relatively long and remains on the same palette as nose and mouth.

Quite a clear nose with hints of sherry and fruit. This nose announces a good whisky.
In the palate, the impression remains good, but the taste palette is relatively limited but is in accordance with the nose impressions. No criticism but no congratulations... Quite a good whisky.
The finish is quite long and remains in the tones of the mouth
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Dalmore: independent bottlings
 

Dalmore
Single Cask 1990
Mac Kullick's choice
Age
 12 years
Alcohol
 43°
Particularity
 Single Cask
Bottler
 Mackillop's
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
 
 
 Is this due to the magic of single cask? This Dalmore version is astonishing by it's round character and it's perfect balance. Compared to the official version, this bottle seemed more interesting to me. All the ingredients of a very great malt. The difference in the quotation between the official version and the one of the independent bottler Mackillop is really surprising. The official version deserves certainly a new tasting.

At the second tasting, the nose was very sweet, floral with some tangerine hints. The taste is rather "round" with however a certain complexity. However, this whisky is dominated by sweet fragrances, which makes it an easy drinking whisky for not well informed drinkers, but shows it limits very soon for single malt lovers. The finish is rather insignificant and the first quotation has been reviewed downwards..

A very smooth and floral and rather flat nose. Something between overripe pear and too sweet tangerine. In the palate, this smoothness feeling, nearly syrupy with some remote fruit hints. A weakening of the content of this bottle due to time...? The finish is in the same spirit, smooth, sugared and flat.

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Dalmore
Adelphi Selection
17 years
Age
 17 years
Alcohl
 59.7°
Particularity
 Single Cask
Bottler
 Adelphi
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Dalmore 17 ans Adelphi
Quite an amazing nose with very interesting hints of roasted cereals and some smoke appearing after a superb bouquet consisting of ripe fruit and some cut grass.
In the palate, a delicious mix of cereals, citrus fruit, ripe fruit and some both bitter and acid ones, cashew nuts in a mix of grapefruit and plum juice.
A remarkable very long finish both fresh and slightly bitter. A real firework in the mouth and at the finish. A kind of whisky like we would like to see much more of. Just happiness.
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Dalmore
17 years
Earldom
Age
 17 years
Alcohol
 46°
Bottler
 Daily Dram
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Dalmore 17 Earldom
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Northern Highlands

Northern Highlands map

Most of the distilleries of that area are settled on the wild and windy seaside between Narin and John 'O Groats, on the Eastern coast.

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Click on the map for a list of the distilleries of the area, on the title for further information about the Northern Highlands area, and if you want to make an "alphabetical journey" through the area, please click on one of the pagode roofs, according to the direction you want to follow

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