Country: Scotland
Region: Highland - Speyside
Brand: Dailuaine 2000 (Silver Seal)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 56.2 %
Date: 30/05/2013
Colour: Deep Copper
Nose: This is really a Single Malt in the sense that thick Malt and a puff of Smoke are the first impressions. After a little while I get light Peat, Oak, Caramel, Sherry, Tobacco, Leather, Cigar Ashes, Plums, Blood Oranges, Brown Sugar, Herbs and a pinch of Salt. The Alcohol is there of course and that's no wonder given the high ABV but it's not too dominant. I couldn't help but thinking about the Johnnie Walker Gold Label when nosing the Dailuaine 2000. To summon it up, the Nose of this Single Malt is okay but not overly complex and even slightly monotonous.
Palate: The best part of this Dailuaine. Strong Delivery. Quite Dry and still Malty with Toast/Biscuits, Oak, Berries, Caramel/Toffee, Pepper, Ginger, Nuts, Tobacco, light Smoke, light Sherry, Black Tea, Blood Orange and light Licorice.
Finish: Bitter-Sweet, Dry and Herbal with Pepper, Oak, Malt and a hint of Espresso Coffee. Not too much going on in this department which, by coincidence or not, is also a characteristic I find in most Johnnie Walker expressions.
I added a bit of Water and the Nose gets even More Malt, some extra Oak, Red Fruit and a hint of Balsamic Vinegar. On the Nose and in the Finish Oak, Licorice and Pepper start to dominate. Better sip it neat.
Rating: 85.5
Nose: 21 - Taste: 22 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5
General Remarks: This Dailuaine was distilled in 2000 and bottled in 2012 at Cask Strength by Silver Seal Whisky Company/Whisky Antique SRL , an Independent Bottler based in Formigine (MO), Italy and founded in 1979. It matured in Ex-Sherry Cask # 9201 out of which 348 bottles were reserved for Silver Seal (SS). Natural Colour and Non-Chillfiltered. It won't be very easy to find and costs around 145 US Dollars.
The Dailuaine Distillery (Green Valley in Gaelic) was built in 1852 and is part of the Diageo Group since 1998. It has an annual production capacity of 3,4 million litres of Alcohol. Most of the production is used in the Johnnie Walker Blends.
Drinking Experience Neat: Good.
Conclusion: This is my first rendezvous with Dailuaine and it didn't disappoint. The Nose is a bit of a one-trick pony and the Finish is forgettable but on the Palate you will experience a strong delivery and there are enough flavours to discover. From time to time you will get visions of the Johnnie Walker range, especially on the Nose and in the Finish. Certainly a distillery well worth discovering but be prepared to open your wallet!
Jan van den Ende May 2013
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