Dalmore 15, 40% abv.

This 15 year old spends 12 years maturing in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, then l finishes in Matusalem, Apostoles, and Amoroso Sherry casks for 3 years. All three parts are then put into "upstanding" sherry butts. Part of The Principal Collection, which consists of the 12, 15, 18, 25, Port Wood Reserve, Cigar Malt, and King Alexander III.

Nose: very strange nose, between soil, frying oil, hot sauce, shoe polish, and old wet steamed lotus leaves. With time, the old wet steamed lotus leaves/expired sherry overtakes everything. Not looking forward to this.

Palate: oily, initially woody and weird sharp fruit, but then it transitions into an oily version of old wet steamed lotus leaves. Is it super expired sherry? Did the rot hit the fortified grapes immersed in toxic ground? Not much else going on though.

Finish: long, slightly spicy, powdery or as the professionals like to call it, "nutty", old coffee grinds found in the trash.

Another bad one. At least this one had a different flavor profile compared to my previous two drams, but still really bad. Can't believe I picked 3 falling drams that night. Might have been a bottle storage issue at the bar.

Grade: D-

Whiskyanalysis.com, 8.31 ± 0.46 on 21 reviews
The whiskyphiles, Barry Bradford, 87/100
Thewhiskeywash, Joshua St. John, 79/100
Whisky advocate, John Hansell, 88 points
Whiskynotes, Ruben Luyten, 80/100
Ralfy, 84/100
Lawhiskeysociety, average, B on 4 reviews

These are 2009 versions (100% Matusalem?):
Whiskyfun.com, Serge, sgp:431, 85 points
Malt maniacs, 82 points on 7 reviews

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

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