Dailuaine 16 Years Old 1997 Small Batch (46%, Cadenheads, Bourbon HHs, 660 Bottles, 2013)

• Speyside single malt scotch whisky
• 46% ABV,
• £57 for 70cl
• Score: 88/100

What they say:

Distilled at Dailuiane distillery in Speyside in 1997 and bottled at 16 Years Old by Wm Cadenhead at 46% ABV

Official tasting notes:

Colour: Golden hues

Aroma: Sweet and spicy

Taste: Explosion of citrus, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and a hint of honey

Finish: Long and lingering sweet and spice

What I say:

Dram No.1 at the Water of Life Society ‘The Blender’s Malts’ tasting on 29th January 2015 – a bourbon matured 16 year old Dailuaine expression. Dailuaine is a relatively unheard of single malt as the only official bottling currently available is the sherry-influenced Dailuaine 16 Years Old Flora and Fauna ~ 43% (Diageo) bottling. That said, Dailuiane make a very fine distillate that fares well in bourbon casks and has a particularly gentle and approachable character, such that numerous independent bottlings are easily found.

Colour:

Light straw gold (7/20), medium tears

Nose:

Foam banana and pear drop sweeties, vanilla, custard, honey, cereal barley, sweet heather honey and some spicy hints of cinnamon and nutmeg

Taste:

Cereal Barley grist and malt, sweetie shop flavours, dolly mixtures, foam bananas, pear drops all in a paper bag like pick’n’mix, sweet pastries, cinnamon Danish, iced buns

Finish:

Short/medium, sweet, icing sugar and pastry

Overall:

Another delicious example of Dailuaine’s spirit, well matured by Cadenheads. While most of Dailuaine’s output invariably goes into Johnnie Walker and other blends around 2% escapes each year to be bottled as single malt. So far every one of these I have tried has not failed to impress me! I think I’m becoming a bit of a Dailuaine fan and found this particular example my favourite of the tasting.