Dalmunach distillery started in 2014 under the Pernod Ricard umbrella. It sits on the former site of Imperial distillery. They have the latest heat recovery technology, 16 steel washbacks and 8 stills arranged in a circle. The output is quite large as well, most of which goes into the Chivas Regal blends.
Somehow most of the bottlings so far seem to have been Duncan Taylor Octaves, as well as other independent bottlings (we only tried one PX quarter cask so far). Now the first official bottling available outside the distillery is this Whisky Exchange exclusive. It matured for six years in American oak barrels.
This bottle also marks the start of a new Scottish Mythical Creatures series. Down the line this will form a set of three bottles inspired by legendary beasts of the Scottish Highlands. The first edition is inspired by the Wulver, a fearsome figure with good intentions.
Dalmunach 6 yo ‘Wulver’ (60%, OB ‘Scottish Mythical Creatures’ for The Whisky Exchange 2022)
Nose: a clean and bright profile with rather common fruit aromas. Lemons, pears, kiwis and red apples. Citrus oils. Then hints of dough and oat grist, with vanilla pods, as well as whiffs of nutty biscuits.
Mouth: similar thoughts. Quite bright and citrusy, not entirely stripped of its spirity character. Pears and honey, with lemon peels. Mid-palate a nice combination of marzipan and mocha appears. Toasted hazelnuts come out too. Then plenty of grainy undertones and a mild peppery note towards the end.
Finish: medium, on citrus and light wood spice. Still some nutty elements too.
The nice thing here is the lack of over-active wood. Most young whiskies are pimped with different (wine) casks but this feels quite natural. Overall this Dalmunach is a solid 6 year-old, maybe not totally exceptional but a nice introduction to this new distillery nonetheless. Exclusively available from The Whisky Exchange.