This is post n° 2500, I can’t believe we’ve gotten this far with just one liver!
Today’s dram had to be something special…
Master Distiller Richard ‘The Nose’ Paterson celebrated his 50th year in the whisky industry last year, and at the beginning of 2017 the distillery presented the limited edition The Dalmore 50 Year Old.
Its journey started the 31st of December 1966 in American oak barrels. In 2003 it was transferred into Matusalem sherry casks from González Byass. In 2012 it went into Colheita 1938 Port pipes from Graham’s for four years until being finessed for 50 days in two Champagne barriques which were used to matured the 2015 Pinot Noir vintage at Domaine Henri Giraud.
It’s not the oldest release they ever released but the Champagne definitely makes it a rather unique recipe. Add an exquisite Baccarat decanter with a silver stag and a hand-crafted display cabinet and the result is a £ 50.000 expression that is hand-filled to order.
I was lucky enough to try this special whisky with Richard Paterson the other day, in an event at TastToe, hosted for the press and some of their best clients.
In the first part of the event, we tried some of the special releases that marked Paterson’s work anniversary:
- The Dalmore Quintessence (finished in five different Californian red wine casks)
- The Dalmore 35 Years (Matusalem + Port finish)
- The Dalmore 40 Years (Matusalem + first-fill bourbon finish).
Each worth being the highlight of a tasting, but this one kept going…
The second part was called Deconstruction of the Dalmore 50. We tried all the flavour components that contributed to the character of the Dalmore 50: a Matusalem VORS sherry, a Graham’s 20 Years Tawny Port and a glass of Henri Giraud Champagne (a name I hadn’t heard of, but well worth remembering).
Ultimately, we tried The Dalmore 50 Year Old. A maximum of 50 bottles will be filled upon request and to make sure we didn’t have to open a crystal decanter, Paterson distributed tiny bottles with 7 ml of the whisky inside. While most of the audience knocked it down there and then, I admit I nosed it for a long time but poured it back into the bottle because I wanted to honour it with more time, attention and a proper copita.
The Dalmore 50 yo
(40%, OB 2017)
The Dalmore 50 yoNose: delicate and rather ethereal, with lots of rubbed orange peel and orange oils, marmalade, eucalyptus and menthol. There’s a hint of vanilla, something of ripe banana and guava, as well as some nutty notes and soft hints of yellow plums. Honey cake. Just a hint of beeswax and shoe polish, and something fragrant, maybe vetiver and bergamot. Quite some leathery notes too. Beautiful nose, very balanced.
Mouth: not too thick, and like many whiskies of this age, a mix of different styles. There’s certainly a great tropical side to it, with clementine and passion fruits, alongside the marmalade again. There’s also a big leathery side and lots of tobacco leaves, including the sourness that comes with the old oak. Mint, cinnamon, fruit teas. Then some juicier sherry notes (red fruits, nuts) and a little dark coffee towards the end. The oak influence is easy to notice, but it’s by no means a tannic whisky.
Finish: medium long, with hints of sour cherries, Earl Grey tea, bitter oranges and liquorice.
A fitting celebration dram for one of the most passionate people in the whisky industry. A glorious nose (like Paterson himself) and a palate that is vibrant, well rounded and reasonably woody. It almost seems unfair to score this: you don’t buy it as a value for money expression. That said, the excellent 35 Years and 40 Years were even more to my liking. Around € 60.000 in Belgium, both available bottles have been sold already.
To your health, Richard, and sincere thanks to The Nectar and TastToe.