Dalwhinnie 30 Years is a mix of casks from 1987 and 1988, making it one of the oldest expressions every released. It was matured in refill hogsheads and butts.
It’s one of the distilleries where the house style bottle format was sacrificed for the consistency of the Special Releases theme. Not sure why it happened for Dalwhinnie but not for Mortlach though.
Dalwhinnie 30 yo
(54,7%, OB ‘Special Releases’ 2019, refill hogsheads + butts, 7586 btl.)
Dalwhinnie 30 yoNose: meadow flowers, leathery notes and baking spices. Ginger cookies, some wet pebblestones. Hints of wax candles. Baked apple and white grapes. After a while there’s a growing lemon tart note and minty freshness. Balsa wood as well.
Mouth: creamy and spicy, with apple peel, floral oaky notes and white pepper. Then moving towards citrus notes, lots of grapefruits and lemons, as well as some tonic water and aspirin. Biscuity notes. Mint.
Finish: long, gingery, with polished oak and citrus zest.
This Dalwhinnie has a very citric, fresh and zesty side, coupled to greenish oak spice. Pretty natural whisky. A Lowlands style from the highest distillery in Scotland… (TWE / MoM)
Score: 86/100