Dalmore 12yo Sherry Cask Select

The Dalmore has added a new expression to its Principal Collection (core range, to you and I); a 12 year old Sherry Cask Select. “But they already have a 12yo expression matured in sherry casks?!” I hear you cry. Yes, they do, but this one it a little different. It’s initially matured for 10 years in ex-bourbon casks, before it is finished in one of three different types of sherry cask. These are then vatted together to create the final whisky. The big emphasis is on these sherry casks, made of both American and European oak, which have been sourced from three separate Andalucian cooperages; Tevasa, Vasyma and Paez. These casks are seasoned with a bespoke blend of aged oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherries before being filled with that aforementioned 10yo bourbon matured whisky for at least two years. Got it? Good.

Speaking of this expression, Dalmore Master Blender Richard Paterson said: “The 12 year old Sherry Cask Select is elegance personified and an excellent addition to our Principal Collection. Its full finish in oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks reveals a more floral, light and refined side to The Dalmore. It is a truly decadent whisky which celebrates the deep-rooted alliances with our cooperage partners to source the most exquisite casks and truly showcase the depth of The Dalmore’s character.”

Dalmore 12yo Sherry Cask Select
Oloroso & Pedro Ximénez finish
43% ABV
£69 here

Nose: Very fruity, with orange oils, blackberry, manuka honey, chocolate orange, caramelised walnut, and cinder toffee. Very easy going.

Palate: A really soft and silky mouthfeel, with buttered pastries, hazelnut praline, juicy sultanas, bourbon biscuits, orange blossom, and a hint of sweet liquorice.

Finish: The wood comes through now with light cinnamon and sweet clove, along with cherry lips sweets and muscovado sugar.

Overall: Hmmm… it’s a good whisky, but I was perhaps expecting a bit more. It more or less delivered what I was expecting from a young-ish Dalmore – a fruity, easy going, sherried whisky, and it’s one of those ‘it does exactly what is says on the tin’ drams, but given the nigh-on £70 price point I was expecting a bit more depth of flavour. There’s no faults at all, but it got a bit lost in the recommended cocktail serve (an Old Fashioned) – a higher bottling strength would definitely have helped it out there. Either way, if you’re a Dalmore, Macallan, Aberlour, or even Mortlach, fan, I reckon you’re gonna really enjoy it… just be prepared to pay for it.