How to taste whisky by Richard Paterson, Master Distiller for The Dalmore.
The Dalmore Whisky
The high production capacity of the distillery has resulted in a variety of official bottlings from which whisky enthusiasts can choose. The distillery’s most typical bottling is the 12 year-old, although they also produce a 15 year-old, an 18 year-old, and older ones. Independent bottlings are very rare at the distillery, with Gordon & MacPhail being one of the very last independent bottlers to do so.
The Production
The water used in the Dalmore is taken from the stunning river Alness, which runs through the small town of Alness, where the distillery is located. The waters of the river flow from the nearby Loch Morie, located deep in the heart of the Northern Highlands. The location of the Dalmore’s distillery and its smooth, floral flavour qualify it as a Highland malt.
The distillery has undergone a number of expansions throughout its history, which have gradually increased its production capacity. Most recently, the capacity increased from 3 million litres in 1991 to its current production level of 4.2 million litres.
The Dalmore has four wash stills and four spirit stills, each with two differing levels of production capacity. Two of the wash stills have a capacity of 16,500 litres, and the other two have a capacity of 8,250 litres. The wash stills at the Dalmore have a constricting piece in the intermediate section of the stills, between the spherical lid and the neck, which results in a higher level of reflux.
The two smaller, two larger stills distribution is reflected with the spirit stills; two have a capacity of 11,000 litres, while the other pair have a capacity 7,300 litres. The Dalmore uses Lomond stills for the distillation process, which have three perforated plates that can be cooled separately, therefore allowing the distiller to produce different kinds of whisky in the same still.
The Malting
From its founding in 1839 to 1982, the Dalmore used its own maltings and matured the whisky onsite in the Dalmore’s warehouse. In 1956, the distillery replaced the floor maltings with a Saladin Box. The Saladin Box (named after its inventor, Charles Saladin) is a large, flat device that mechanically turns the germinating barley inside and allows air to pass through. Very seldom the Dalmore uses peated malt to achieve distinctive smoky notes. In 1982, the distillery retired its own malting process, opting instead to source its malt from an industrialised distributor.
The Warehouse
The warehouses at the Dalmore are something of a pilgrimage site, holding some of the oldest whisky stocks in the world. There are nine warehouses on the distillery’s site, with four being dunnage and five racked. Many of them are multi-floor, meaning that the altogether warehouse capacity of the site is a whopping 65,000 casks. The Dalmore uses a variety of cask types, although the mainstay is bourbon.
Dalmore History
Looking at the history of the Dalmore, it’s impressive to think that such a small corner of the Northern Highands could hold such a colourful past. Alexander Matheson founded the distillery in 1839 with the fortune that he’d procured from the illegal opium trade in Asia. The Dalmore was destined to take a legendary place among scotches, being in the possession of Scottish nobility, Clan Mackenzie, for almost a century. Operations ran fairly smoothly at the distillery until 1917, when the British Royal Navy began to use the firth next to the distillery as a site for the production of deep-sea mines. In 1920 much of the distillery was destroyed by an explosion and fire that came as result of a mine denotation incident. The subsequent legal battle between Andrew Mackenzie, then manager of the distillery, and the Royal Navy lasted over half a decade, even reaching the House of Lords. The distillery eventually recommenced production, and continued moving from strength to strength.
In 1966, the number of stills at the site was increased from four to eight, placing Dalmore in the top 25 distilleries in the world in terms of capacity. During the 1960s, the Mackenzie clan’s company, Mackenzie Brothers Ltd, merged with the distiller’s giant Whyte & Mackay. Since then, the distillery has undergone a number of different corporate mergers and buyouts, most recently with Diageo buying the majority stake in the distillery’s parent company. The Dalmore is one of the more famous single malts in the world, due to its record-breaking legacy for reaching high auction prices. For a while, it held the record of being the most expensive whisky ever sold at an auction, with a 62-year old bottle reaching a fetching price of £125,000. Apparently the bottle was finished the same night that it was purchased, so unfortunately we’re not going to see it resurface on the Market to break any more records.
The Dalmore Collection – Six expressions presented by Master Distiller, Richard Paterson
THE 12
ANDREW MACKENZIE’S MASTERPIECE
The Dalmore 12 year old, with its intricate aromas and flavours, is recognised as a whisky with character far beyond its age. This was Andrew Mackenzie’s original masterpiece and stood apart from the norm of the day. At a time when it was standard practise to mature whisky for no more than 6 years, Andrew Mackenzie demonstrated his pioneering character by doubling the maturation period. His boldness truly paid off, The Dalmore 12 year old still stands apart as an exceptional whisky today, as it did then.
Matured for an initial nine years in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, the spirit is then divided for its final flourish. One half remains in the bourbon barrels, while the other is transferred to exclusive 30 year old Gonzalez Byass Matusalem oloroso sherry butts before they are reunited to create this phenomenal whisky.
THE 15
THE DALMORE HOUSE STYLE IS BORN
The Dalmore 15 year old is smooth, rich and well rounded; the epitome of The Dalmore house style. This delicate and approachable vintage is initially matured for 12 years in American white oak ex-bourbon casks. The character of The Dalmore 15 is achieved by then splitting the whisky equally between three different sherry woods; Amoroso, Apostoles and Matusalem oloroso for a further three years. The spirit is finally married together in an upstanding sherry butt, allowing the flavours to infuse.
THE 18
ABOVE AND BEYOND
An evolution of The Dalmore house style, this 18 year old expression harnesses bolder notes. A robust and formidable whisky, The Dalmore 18 year old showcases the result of extended maturation and the influence of the wood. Matured initially for 14 years in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, the spirit is then transferred to 30 year old Matusalem oloroso sherry butts for a further four years. These sherry butts from the world-renowned sherry house Gonzalez Byass are selected exclusively for The Dalmore.
THE 25
AS EXCEPTIONAL AS IT IS UNIQUE
The Dalmore uses a completely unique cask finish to create their revered 25 year old. Matured initially in American white oak, the whisky is carefully divided into rare hand-sourced 25 year old sweet Palomino Fino sherry butts and 1980 first fill bourbon casks.
These exceptional whiskies are then expertly married together in bourbon barrels before being transferred, for the final time into Tawny Port pipes from Portugal, for a totally unrivalled finish. The 25 showcases the dedication and creativity of Richard Paterson in his pursuit to find incredible casks for The Dalmore.
CIGAR MALT RESERVE
ONE OF A KIND WHISKY FOR CIGAR LOVERS
This specially crafted whisky has been expertly made to be the perfect accompaniment to the finest of cigars. Matured initially in American white oak ex-bourbon casks and 30 year old Matusalem oloroso sherry butts, it is then finessed in premier cru Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques.
KING ALEXANDER III
THE EMBODIMENT OF BRAVERY
In 1263, Colin of Kintail, Chief of the Clan Mackenzie, took a bold decision to stand up and be counted, and felled a charging stag which attacked King Alexander III of Scotland. In return for saving his life, the grateful King gifted the 12-pointed Royal Stag emblem to the Mackenzie Clan as a reward.
When descendants of the Mackenzie Clan took over the ownership of The Dalmore distillery in 1867, they continued to honour this brave act and proudly put the 12-pointed Royal Stag on the bottle. To this day, the Stag still adorns each and every bottle of The Dalmore.
To celebrate the pioneering and innovative values of the Mackenzie Clan, our Master Distiller has painstakingly created the only single malt in the world to unite a unique six cask finish for one outstanding achievement. Spirits matured in ex-bourbon casks, Matusalem oloroso sherry butts, Madeira barrels, Marsala casks, Port pipes and Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques are combined in perfect harmony to create a uniquely complex, yet smooth single malt. This is the embodiment of brave creativity and a lifetime’s experience.
Pairing Cigar & Spirits
The drinking of spirits and the smoking of cigars have a long history together. This pastime has enjoyed something of a revival in the UK in the last few years and numerous events are being held to match certain whiskies with certain cigars and discuss the flavour combinations. If you would like to try pairing spirits and cigars, we have the perfect matches for you to enjoy with colleagues or friends. Read more about pairing cigars and spirits but clicking here.
For more information about Dalmore Whisky visit their website at www.thedalmore.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.