Dailuaine 7 Years Old 2005 Single Minded (41.5%, Douglas Laing, Sherry Butts, 2013)

• Single malt scotch whisky
• 41.5% ABV, £34.35 for 70 cl
• Score: 83/100

What they say:

The Single Minded range from Douglas Laing & Co Ltd. is a series of small batch single malt whiskies, all of which are bottled at 41.5% ABV without chill-filtration or colouring. This particular example is from Dailuaine and was aged for 7 years in a single sherry butt between March 2007 and November 2014 before bottling.

What I say:

Our first sample dram during our visit to the Douglas Laing & Co Ltd. HQ was this 7 year old Dailuaine, a perfect starter dram from their ‘entry-level’ Single Minded range

Colour:

Light rose gold

Nose:

Fruity apple, peach, apricot, milk chocolate buttons, Blondies (white chocolate Brownies), sweet honey, cereal barley and hay

Taste:

Light, doughy, freshly-baked blondies, suet pastry, sweet and spicy, milk chocolate, creamy vanilla and coconut, crisp cereal barley

Finish:

Short, sugary tablet/fudge with macadamia nut

Overall:

Smooth and full of some wonderful flavours, at 7 years you would expect a little roughness or harshness or even fesistiness at least but not an ounce was detected. If anything the youth in this dram is revealed by an ethereal nature of some of the flavours, lots of hints and whiffs of lovely stuff but nothing too solid as to be overpowering. A really gentle dram with delicious creamy flavours