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We have briefly introduced the history of The Dalmore in a separate post and King Alexander III was very much linked to the origins of the distillery. Considered the crown jewel of The Dalmore principal collection, this special creation by Master distiller Richard Patterson is the only single malt in this world that combines the greatness of six different casks. Yes, that’s right.. SIX! Other than the brand signature American white oak and Matusalem oloroso sherry casks, he added in spirits from Madeira, Marsala, Port pipes, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The result? A complex, yet smooth single malt – a true showcase of the Master distiller’s lifetime experience and creativity.
Awards:
International Wine & Spirit Competition 2017
Silver – Scotch Single Malt – Highland
World Whiskies Awards 2014
Silver – Highland Single Malt No Age Statement
International Spirits Challenge 2014
Silver – Distillers’ Single Malts 12 years and under
International Wine & Spirit Competition 2014
Silver Outstanding – Scotch Single Malt – Highland
International Wine & Spirit Competition 2013
Silver – Scotch Single Malt – Highland
Tasting Notes:
ABV: 40%
Colour: Deep Mahogany
Nose: Signature of Dalmore, the malty sweetness can immediately be captured. This is immediately followed by subtle aroma of fresh flowers with notes of berries. A slight spiciness ends it all. (15 points)
Palate: A complex palate of sherry and berries first captures the taste buds. Subtle tastes of chocolate and zesty orange follows, with a bit of spice. (15 points)
Body: A well-balanced whisky. It is worth noting that the spiciness comes after the fruity flavours and it’s not over powering, similar to the 18 year old edition. (33 points)
Finish: The sweet fruity finish lingers in the mouth, with hints of chocolatey taste, and spice. (18 points)
Total grade: 81 points
Malt whisky is still made with the same traditional methods of Scotland’s past using natural raw materials. Malted barley, yeast and water made up the humble ingredients of every malt Scotch whisky. The process is made up of 5 steps, and the time frame for making malt Scotch whisky varies depending on how long the whisky is eventually matured.
Barley has to be malted before they can be used in the whisky making process. They are steeped in water before being spread out on a traditional malting floor for germination. This process creates a kind of starch in the barley which will be converted into soluble sugars in later processes. These sugars will eventually become alcohol.
The malting process lasts a week, in which the barley will start to sprout. The sprouting is stopped by drying the barley in a large oven known as a kiln. This drying process is known as kilning and peat is sometimes burnt in this process to produce whisky that has a distinctive, smokey flavour.
Once the barley are dried completely, they are grounded and then mixed with hot water in a mashing tun. Mashing dissolves the sugars from the malt and produces a sugary liquid known as wort. Wort will be used to turn into alcohol. The liquid is collected for the next step while the remaining solids are reused as nutritious cattle feed.
The wort that is collected went into large containers known as washbacks, where yeast is added for fermentation to happen. The yeast then converts the sugars in the wort, creating undistllled alcohol known as the wash. The wash is around 8% ABV.
Normal malt whisky production demands a double distillation process, where the wash is distilled once in a wash still and once in a spirit still. The wash is heated in the wash still until it boils. Alcohol vapours then rise and pass over the narrow head of the wash still before it condenses back into liquid form as low wines. The liquid is then collected into the spirit still, where the distillation process repeats. The liquid that comes out from the spirit still is further monitored and only the high-quality of usable spirit is collected as new spirit. Do note that there are some whiskies which are tripled-distilled. In such whiskies, the liquid collected from the spirit still is distilled a third time to create even purer new spirits for maturation.
The new-make spirit is then transferred into oak casks of different origins and set aside for maturation. Through the maturation process, the colourless spirit takes on the colour of the cask that they are in, and develops further flavour characteristics influenced by the cask. By law, whiskies that are to be known as Scotch whiskies must matured in Scotland for at least 3 years. When a whisky label carries an age statement, for example 12 years, all the whiskies in the bottle must have matured in a cask for at least the said number of years.
The 5 steps whisky-making process sounds easy but whisky-makers put in a lot of hard work and passion into the process. Whenever we are enjoying a Scottish dram or two, do think about the beautiful work that these producers are doing and wish them well. 🙂
The Dalmore Cigar Malt was created by Richard Patterson due to his love for whisky and cigar. A third cask was added into their usual two in the maturation process – the premier cru Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques. This innovative combination of spirits from three different casks produces a fine whisky with rich flavours and is perfect for pairing with cigars.
There was actually an older edition that was discontinued in mid-2009 and it caused a huge uproar among the cigar-smoking fans. This ‘new’ edition is slightly different from the discontinued one as it is now made up of slightly older whiskies.
If you are a cigar lover, you might be awed when you find out the flavour benchmark for pairing this whisky – Partagas Serie D No. 4!
Awards:
International Wine & Spirit Competition 2017
Silver – Scotch Single Malt – Highland
International Wine & Spirit Competition 2014
Silver – Scotch Single Malt – Highland
International Spirits Challenge 2014
Silver – Distillers’ Single Malts 12 years and under
Tasting Notes:
ABV: 44%
Colour: Golden Amber
Nose: The distinctly sweet toffee aroma catches our attention immediately. Shortly after comes the smell of charred oak, ending it all with a slight spice. (14 points)
Palate: The sweetness of toffee fills up the palate, followed closely by burnt caramel. Strong nutmeg spice envelops the mouth as the whisky stays longer. (14 points)
Body: Good balance between the nose and the palate, making it a well-rounded whisky. The sharpness of the spice is cushioned comfortably by the sweetness of toffee and perfect integration of sherry and wine casks. (34 points)
Finish: The finish is medium, with a lingering sherry oak sweetness. (15 points)
Total grade: 77 points
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