Dartmoor Whisky is created in the small town of Bovey Tracey (England) on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. It started in 2016 in an old town hall. This was fitted with a refurbished copper cognac still. The single malt comes from local barley and was engineered by the well-known Frank McHardy (ex-Springbank).
Their core expressions are a bourbon cask, Bordeaux red wine cask and Oloroso cask version, matured full-time in these types. We’re trying the Bourbon Cask edition which should be just over 3 years of age.
Dartmoor Bourbon Cask (46%, OB +/- 2022)
Nose: all about icing sugar, sweet lemon candy and vanilla. Light bubblegum. Then also a gin-like aroma that I get in several new distilleries these days. Cream filled pastry, green apple and floral honey as well.
Mouth: really sweet. Honey, more green apple and icing sugar. Then gummi bears, hints of cinnamon and subtle white pepper. Vanilla cookies and citrus, as well as a hint of pine wood.
Finish: fairly short, going from sweet to drier flavours and mild oak.
A very light and inoffensive whisky that is quite immature at this point (as well as overpriced). The sweetness is a bit too much for my taste, but I suppose this can work nicely in a highball. Available from Master of Malt or The Whisky Exchange, among others.