Dailuaine 2000 Review

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

Arran 10 Years Review

Country: Scotland 

Region: Highland - Island - Arran

Brand: Arran

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 10 Years

ABV: 46 %

Colour: Golden Grain

Nose: There's a clear Pineapple impression right upfront, accompanied by light Sherry, Malt, Straw, Earth, Oak, Cocoa Powder, Butter, Nuts and Lemon. With more time in the glass some additional Fruity tones appear. (Pear, Apple, Berries, Orange, Banana). There is some light Alcohol as well that gives away this Arran's relative youth. 

Note: Immediately after opening the miniature bottle I was unpleasantly welcomed by the Aroma of Cabbage Water that might hint at some Sulphur, but could also be caused by the Peaty Water from Loch Na Davie used in the distillery. These Vegetative tones are very strongly present in the whiskies from the Jura distillery and here they returned in a lighter form. I can't say I like this aspect a lot. However, once the bottle is opened for a while these notes practically disappear so I won't consider them for my rating. My advise however is to open a new bottle a couple of hours before tasting to avoid this little issue.

Palate: Sweet Chewy Malt, Honey and lots of Lemon along with Orange flavoured Chocolate, Pepper, Oak, Vanilla, Nuts, Hay and Cinnamon. 

Finish: Middle Long with Sweet Barley, Orange Peel, Pepper, Nutmeg, Vanilla, Cocoa Powder, light Sherry, light Licorice and Lemon. The finish reminds me a bit of Irish Whiskey every once in a while.

With a bit of Water the Nose gets more Fruity and Malty tones. The Finish becomes quite Spicy. Feel free to experiment with a bit of Water here.

Rating: 84

Nose: 21 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

General Remarks: Arran is a very young distillery and only started selling Single Malts in 1995. It's located on the Isle of Arran, off of the Scottish West Coast. The 10 years is the Standard Malt that matures in a combination of Ex-Bourbon and Ex- Sherry Casks. No Colouring is added and the whisky is Non Chill Filtered. Unpeated Barley is used for the 10 Years expression that sells at between 45 and 50 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: The Arran 10 is certainly a complex enough whisky given its relative youth. Nice Malt, Honey and Lemon are strongly present on the Palate and I like the Orange-Chocolate note. Arran is a promising young distillery with distinct Lemon distillery characteristics that could score high in the future. The ABV of 46% and the lack of chill-filtration are certainly additional positive points. A good choice at an acceptable price! 

Jan van den Ende                                                                     May 29, 2013