April | 2017 | All Things Nice

THE 12 – ANDREW MACKENZIE’S MASTERPIECE

The Dalmore 12 year old, with its intricate aromas and flavours, is recognised as a whisky with character far beyond its age. This was Andrew Mackenzie’s original masterpiece and stood apart from the norm of the day. At a time when it was standard practise to mature whisky for no more than 6 years, Andrew Mackenzie demonstrated his pioneering character by doubling the maturation period. His boldness truly paid off, The Dalmore 12 year old still stands apart as an exceptional whisky today, as it did then.

Matured for an initial nine years in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, the spirit is then divided for its final flourish. One half remains in the bourbon barrels, while the other is transferred to exclusive 30 year old Gonzalez Byass Matusalem oloroso sherry butts before they are reunited to create this phenomenal whisky.

AROMA – Citrus fruits, chocolate and aromatic spices.

PALATE – Citrus, oloroso sherry, vanilla pod.

FINISH – Roasted coffee and chocolate.

WOOD FINISH – American white oak ex-bourbon, Matusalem oloroso.

THE 15

The Dalmore 15 year old is smooth, rich and well rounded; the epitome of The Dalmore house style.

This delicate and approachable vintage is initially matured for 12 years in American white oak ex-bourbon casks. The character of The Dalmore 15 is achieved by then splitting the whisky equally between three different sherry woods; Amoroso, Apostoles and Matusalem oloroso for a further three years. The spirit is finally married together in an upstanding sherry butt, allowing the flavours to infuse.

AROMA – Orange marmalade, cinnamon and nutmeg.

PALATE – Mandarin, vanilla, ginger.

FINISH – Christmas spice and oak.

WOOD FINISH – American white oak ex-bourbon, Amoroso sherry, Apostoles sherry, Matusalem oloroso

THE 18 – ABOVE AND BEYOND

An evolution of The Dalmore house style, this 18 year old expression harnesses bolder notes. A robust and formidable whisky, The Dalmore 18 year old showcases the result of extended maturation and the influence of the wood.

Matured initially for 14 years in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, the spirit is then transferred to 30 year old Matusalem oloroso sherry butts for a further four years. These sherry butts from the world-renowned sherry house Gonzalez Byass are selected exclusively for The Dalmore.

AROMA – Vanilla, dark chocolate, orange.

PALATE – Dark chocolate, candied citrus fruits, rich coffee.

FINISH – Citrus fruit, oak.

WOOD FINISH – American white oak ex-bourbon, Matusalem oloroso

THE 25 – AS EXCEPTIONAL AS IT IS UNIQUE

The Dalmore uses a completely unique cask finish to create their revered 25 year old. Matured initially in American white oak, the whisky is carefully divided into rare hand-sourced 25 year old sweet Palomino Fino sherry butts and 1980 first fill bourbon casks.

These exceptional whiskies are then expertly married together in bourbon barrels before being transferred, for the final time into Tawny Port pipes from Portugal, for a totally unrivalled finish.

The 25 showcases the dedication and creativity of Richard Paterson in his pursuit to find incredible casks for The Dalmore.

AROMA – Exotic fruits, marzipan, treacle toffee.

PALATE – Orange peel, chocolate truffles, liquorice.

FINISH -Demerara sugar, bitter chocolate.

WOOD FINISH – First fill bourbon cask,American white oak ex-bourbon, 25 year old sweet Palomino Fino sherry, Tawny Port pipes

CIGAR MALT RESERVE – ONE OF A KIND WHISKY FOR CIGAR LOVERS

This specially crafted whisky has been expertly made to be the perfect accompaniment to the finest of cigars.

Matured initially in American white oak ex-bourbon casks and 30 year old Matusalem oloroso sherry butts, it is then finessed in premier cru Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques.

AROMA – Cinnamon, vanilla and red fruits.

PALATE – Tropical fruits, banana toffee and vanilla ice cream.

FINISH – Orange zest, bergamot.

WOOD FINISH – American white oak ex-bourbon, Matusalem oloroso, Premier cru Cabernet Sauvignon

KING ALEXANDER III – THE EMBODIMENT OF BRAVERY

In 1263, Colin of Kintail, Chief of the Clan Mackenzie, took a bold decision to stand up and be counted, and felled a charging stag which attacked King Alexander III of Scotland. In return for saving his life, the grateful King gifted the 12-pointed Royal Stag emblem to the Mackenzie Clan as a reward.

When descendants of the Mackenzie Clan took over the ownership of The Dalmore distillery in 1867, they continued to honour this brave act and proudly put the 12-pointed Royal Stag on the bottle. To this day, the Stag still adorns each and every bottle of The Dalmore.

To celebrate the pioneering and innovative values of the Mackenzie Clan, our Master Distiller has painstakingly created the only single malt in the world to unite a unique six cask finish for one outstanding achievement. Spirits matured in ex-bourbon casks, Matusalem oloroso sherry butts, Madeira barrels, Marsala casks, Port pipes and Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques are combined in perfect harmony to create a uniquely complex, yet smooth single malt. This is the embodiment of brave creativity and a lifetime’s experience.

AROMA – Red berry fruits, fresh flowers, passion fruit.

PALATE – Citrus zest, vanilla pod, creme caramel.

FINISH – Sweet cinnamon, nutmeg.

WOOD FINISH – Matusalem oloroso,Port pipes, Marsala, Madeira, Cabernet Sauvignon barriques, American white oak ex-bourbon.

The Distillery: The Ardmore distillery sits at the highest point of the Northern railway line, 600 feet above sea level. Close to the small village of Kennethmont, this railway line was used to transport materials from Glasgow to the remote corner of Aberdeenshire, helping the distillery flourish.

The water is still drawn from the naturally rising springs that sit on the 1,500 foot tall Knockandy Hill.

Those who live on the rugged fringes of the Highlands embrace the freedom of the great outdoors and The Ardmore brings together the power of nature in every drop that travels from our distillery.

TASTING NOTES AND DETAILS ON VARIANTS:

Ardmore Legacy

The Ardmore Legacy celebrates the distillery’s unique location on the fringes of the Highlands, offering a lightly peated liquid that is sweet and uplifting. The gentle flavour fully captures the essence of this spirit’s stunning Highland home. The Ardmore® Legacy will appeal to experienced peated malt drinkers and newcomers, alike.

Colour – Light golden.

Nose – Heather Honey with hints of cinnamon and toffee bonbon. Very subtle hints of peat smoke.

Palate – Creamy vanilla spice gives way to more overt smoky charcoal notes, especially with the addition of water. Smoke doesn’t dominate and is balanced by the sweet honey and spice flavours.

Finish – Full bodied, silky mouth feel with a dry, tangy and lingering aftertaste, coupled with delicious spice notes.

ABV – 40%

Ardmore Tradition

A Travel Retail exclusive, The Ardmore Tradition is a taste of history itself, journeying back to a time when most Highland distilleries dried their barley with the sweet smoke of local Highland peat. Double matured in oak barrels then smaller Quarter Casks, The Ardmore® Tradition is a full and rich liquid, with unique Highland peat smoke ﬂavours.

Colour – Burnished Gold

Nose – At bottle strength (46%), the influence of both maturations compliment each other producing a full bodied smooth aroma. The maturity comes from the American barrels and the spicy, creamy nose from the old style smaller casks.

Palate – The full rich flavours burst and fill the mouth with a creamy peat tang and a touch of vanilla’s soft gentleness.

If a touch of water is added, then the flavours increase with the addition of a sweet ripe fruit start followed by a tang of peat.

Finish – Full, succulent and quite long.

ABV – 46%

Ardmore Port Wood Finish

A unique and premium expression of The Ardmore. Double cask matured in American white oak bourbon barrels and European half port pipes, resulting in a liquid that is light and sweet with a balance of fruity, smoky notes.

Non-chill filtered and aged for 12 years, this ruby gold single malt has been made using the same traditional distilling methods for 100 years.

Colour – Ruby gold.

Nose – Initial nose of strawberries and summer fruits with a hint of pepper. Notes of burnt orange and cinnamon spice underlie. With water, the rich fruit aromas of red apple and cranberry intensify, accompanied by sweet honey and subtle spiced wood notes.

Palate – Sweet red apple and honey with the subtlest hint of charcoal smoke.

Finish – Initially smooth with a long, lingering finish culminating in the trademark Ardmore dryness.

ABV – 46%

Ardmore Triple Wood

The Ardmore Triple Wood is a complex and rewarding travel retail exclusive Highland malt. Triple matured in American Oak barrels, quarter casks and puncheons, this non-chill filtered expression is rich in traditional Highland peat smoke notes.

Colour – Golden straw, natural honey.

Nose – Biscuity cereal notes and the scent of banana underlie the initial nose of ginger, burnt sugar, cherries and honey. A drop of water intensifies the ginger snap biscuit notes with a hint of cinnamon, and soft highland peat smoke.

Palate – Light caramelised sugar, toasted barley, and warming, light peat smoke are followed by sweet vanilla custard. Water releases notes of pink peppercorn, and dried fruit flavours (raisin and candid orange peel).

Finish – Light with soft peat smoke, lingering pepper and toasted almonds with a well-balanced dry mouth feel.

ABV – 46%

All Things Nice

Monthly Archives: April 2017

Dalmore

Ardmore

The platform for knowledge, networking and indulgent experiences for wine, luxury spirits and gourmet food aficionados. www.allthingsnice.in