Dalwhinnie Scotch Whisky

Dalwhinnie is a very good single malt scotch from the Central Highlands region of Scotland. Perhaps not worthy to be ranked among the top-tier of scotches, Dalwhinnie nonetheless ranks as one of my favourites from the Midlands.

(Just a refresher -- single-malt means that the whisky comes from one distillery and is made from malted barely, as opposed to blended or grain whisky. Also, for Scotch, is it spelled whisky, while most others ...
...spirits give this elemental experience. Dalwhinnie is one such single-malt that does speak its origin in its name, in the middle of Scotland, sturdy and not timid, not to be budged. There is a bit of heather and flower in the nose and in the taste.

The colour is a pale gold, shimmering and interesting, a little on the unassuming side. But the taste roars back, with hints of vanilla, fruitiness, a bit of flowering and just a gentle ... more

Dalwhinnie is a very good single malt scotch from the Central Highlands region of Scotland. Perhaps not worthy to be ranked among the top-tier of scotches, Dalwhinnie nonetheless ranks as one of my favourites from the Midlands.

(Just a refresher -- single-malt means that the whisky comes from one distillery and is made from malted barely, as opposed to blended or grain whisky. Also, for Scotch, is it spelled whisky, while most others insert the e for whiskey.)

The distillery was founded in 1897 or 1898, and was originally named Strathspey. In 1905, it was purchased by Cook & Bernheimer, New York, who sold it in 1920 to Sir James Calder. It changed hands several times in the 1920s and 1930s, until 1934 when it was closed after a devastating fire. In 1939, just as war loomed, it was reopened. The distillery produces a major component of Buchanan blends. An interesting trivia fact is that this is Scotland’s highest distillery at 326m. The site has a meteorological station in residence, and readings taken daily by the manager.

In single-malt whisky, one can often, after developing enough of a palate, detect the place of origin – the soil, the water, the environmental factors – which is what makes each one so wonderfully unique. Vanishingly few other spirits give this elemental experience. Dalwhinnie is one such single-malt that does speak its origin in its name, in the middle of Scotland, sturdy and not timid, not to be budged. There is a bit of heather and flower in the nose and in the taste.

The colour is a pale gold, shimmering and interesting, a little on the unassuming side. But the taste roars back, with hints of vanilla, fruitiness, a bit of flowering and just a gentle toasting (not quite smoky) flavouring. This is a single-malt that starts, lingers, and finishes each in a different manner usually, which makes it a unique one.

Make sure to chew this one a bit – do take care to notice the deceptively soft landing on the tongue, the bit of kicking as it surrounds the palate, and the smooth finish that makes this one seem, if not quite a waterfall of a taste experience, as least a watery rapid.

The 15-year single malt is rather well regarded, earning 92 points from 'Wine Enthusiast'. In particular, it has hints of sweet peat in its nose. The taste is round and full, with smoky flavors significantly present in the finish, which is rich and smooth.

This is not a widely-known Scotch by any means, but one that a Scotch aficionado should definitely come to make acquaintance. Not quite in the league with its more noble Speyside cousins, it is still a hearty and worthy contender, in my estimation.

Dalwhinnie is often a good scotch to use side by side with single-malts from other regions, as a good representative of a Highland malt. It embodies a lot of the qualities for taste and nose that are highlighted in all Highland malts (the other primary traditional regions being Lowlands, Islay and Campbelltown, unless one gets into the more intricate listing that break the regions even further). At a maturity of 15 years, it is a reasonable middle age scotch (some mature longer, some lesser times, but this is a good average age). The colour, taste and nose are distinctive while bearing common traits shared with other Highlanders.

Price ($US, 750 ml or standard size): $50
 

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