Dimple 15 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Dimple (J.Haig & Company)
The Blend is called Pinch in the USA
Type: Blended Whisky
Age: 15 Years
Alcohol: 43%
Date: 27/12/2011

Color: Old Gold

Nose: Sweet Grains (Sugared Corn Flakes), Buttered Toast, Oak, Sherry, Caramel, a Touch of Peat, Mild Spices, Tones of Honey. There is a bit of alcohol there as well.


That’s the song I was whistling when testing the Dimple 15 Years. Can anybody remember the Searchers from 1963? Shit, I can!

Taste: Very Sweet, Medium Body, Honey, Toffee, Orange Marmalade, Spices (Nutmeg and Cinnamon), A hint of Smoke. A slight nutty bitterness that I could do without.

Finish: Middle Long but Too Sweet, Sticky Caramel and Butter Scotch, Dry Oak, Light Spices.

Rating:   80 
Nose: 20,5– Taste: 20– Finish: 19,5 – Overall: 20

General Remarks: Robert Haig is said to have been the first distiller in the Haig family. This was way back around 1630. The first Dimple Deluxe blend appeared in 1888 and the specific – and very nice bottle was introduced in 1893. This blend consists of around 30 whiskies. The basic malts are Glenkinchie and Linkwood, respectively Lowland and Speyside. There are also some matured Highlands malts included in this blend. Next to the 15 Years there are also 12 Years and 18 Years Expressions. Dimple is popular in a/o Greece, Mexico, Germany and the USA.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good. You can experiment with a little water thanks to the 43% alcohol. It brings a little bit more balance between the sweet and the spices.

Conclusion: It’s not so easy to draw a final conclusion on this blend. Certainly the Dimple 15 Year is not a bad blended whisky. But is it really good? No, I don’t think so. Why? Because when nosing and tasting the Dimple I can’t stop thinking about this all the time:


It’s simply too sweet. Sweet Cornflakes and Buttered Toast and Toffee on the nose, Honey and Toffee on the palate and Sticky sugary Caramel in the finish. Don’t forget to brush your teeth after drinking this whisky! But honestly, there is too much sweetness around and that makes Dimple 15 Year a bit boring. It tastes probably good when mixed with Cola but I don’t need to buy an exclusive blend for that reason. Okay, maybe the Dimple is not really an expensive blend at around USD 40 per liter in Europe. Still, how many kilos of assorted sweets can you buy with that kind of money!
                                                                            
Jan van den Ende                                                             December 2011

2 comments:

Jason Debly said...

I find Dimple Pinch too grainy for my liking. For a 15 year old blended scotch, I was expecting a lot more.

Happy New Year!

Jan van den Ende said...

Hi Jason,

Thanks and a Happy New Year to you as well!

Jan