Delicious Dalmore

[Jono]

This scotch is an excellent tasting spirit that should satisfy all but the most hardened peat drinkers. It has a sweetish, honeyed/floral flavor that is very satisfying...very smooth. It tastes like a Highland meadow in spring....

[Bob]

Jono,

Are you speaking of their 12 YO? If so, it is excellent, and very reasonably priced. My impressions include aromas of malt, oak and peat smoke, which carry over into the flavors which I observe. The malty sweet flavor is the main flavor. I also get some citrus fruit flavors. It has a nice smooth, medium length finish.

I do enjoy heavily peated Islay malts, but this is indeed a good one! Have you had their Cigar Malt? It is also extremely good!

Bob

[bluesbassdad]

Jon,

Your post reminded me that I set aside my bottle of Dalmore (pardon me, make that The Dalmore ) 12 some time ago after finding it perplexing upon first tasting. I think I even refrained from adding to my "First Impressions" thread, not knowing quite what to say. Last night I dug it out of the closet and gave it another try.

I did not recall such a strong sherry influence (or perhaps I didn't recognize it as such back then). It reminded me immediately of The Macallan 12; a side-by-side tasting is called for.

The nose was deliciously sweet, more so than The Macallan, if memory serves, and, had I ever smelled a Highland meadow in spring, I expect I would agree with your comparison. The complete lack of any medicine aroma was very welcome.

However, on the palate and at the finish a slight burned sugar/smoke taste appeared, which was not so much unpleasant as startling. At the same time, the sweetness turned slightly cloying, making me wonder whether a touch of the medicine taste or a little edge might be a good thing, after all.

This experience reinforces my impression that at the moment Highland Park 12 is my personal standard of excellence in the world of scotch. I like others more or less in inverse proportion to how much they differ from HP12, which seems to have just the right amount of the various flavors that I associate with scotch. The predominate sweetness of The Dalmore 12, while initially very enticing, ultimately proves to be unsatisfying to my taste.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[Jono]

Yes, this is the 12 yo Dalmore. I have not tried the Highland Park...sounds like a must..I know it is highly regarded. The peat in the Dalmore seems subtle compared to many others. I have not tried the Cigar Malt. The Dalmore is priced attractively, for a Scotch, I think it was around $35-40?

[Speedy_John]

And folks here in PA complain about our State Stores' "high prices" We can get Dalmore 12yo here in PA for $29. The Cigar Malt runs about a buck cheaper. BTW, if you want a real treat, try the Dalmore 21 or Stillman's Dram 30yo. Both are a bit expensive, but well worth the investment, IMHO. The 21yo really highlights the Dalmore's characteristic orange and chocolate notes. The SD30yo is among the oilier (is that a word?) malts I've ever encountered. Rich, luscious, yummy.

SpeedyJohn

[Bob]

A few months ago, I got the 12 YO Dalmore, along with a hip flask, from Sam's for about $20. This was during one of their sales. What a great bargain...a nice flask, which I needed, along with a very good Single Malt! I was a happy camper with that deal!

Bob

[Jono]

Ahhh, orange and chocolate notes...sounds right to me! How does the Cigar Malt taste in comparison?

[Blackkeno]

The Cigar Malt is great IMHO. I tend toward older malts but the Cigar Malt is great even without an age statement. It has a decent dose of sherry cask.

[Jono]

My memory was off...Osco has it on the shelf for $29 here too...I am sure that is what I paid for it elsewhere. A great price for a very good scotch.

[bluesbassdad]

... at the moment, Highland Park 12 is my personal standard of excellence in the world of scotch. I like others more or less in inverse proportion to how much they differ from HP12, which seems to have just the right amount of the various flavors that I associate with scotch. The predominate sweetness of The Dalmore 12, while initially very enticing, ultimately proves to be unsatisfying to my taste.

I finished my first bottle of HP 12 a couple of days ago. This afternoon (the time of day I'm most likely to enjoy scotch) I turned to The Dalmore 12 once again. At this point The Macallan 12 is only a distant memory. Nevertheless, I do recall it upon tasting The Dalmore 12 again. Even so, The Dalmore 12 is far from what I would consider "over-sherried".

What has changed is my perception of its sweetness as "unsatisfying". Now I find it quite appealing, at least for the duration of one pour. One pour still does not invite another, as Highland Park 12 did. Perhaps my definition of "satisfying" needs to be revisited.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[Jono]

I will have to try HP!

[TNbourbon]

Well, who knows why these things happen, but upon returning home from a pizza-supper outing, my eyes fell on The Dalmore 12 I'd laid out but never opened, and it seemed right for an after-pizza-dinner drink, so I poured some. This old farm boy really enjoys and appreciates the clean, prominent grain in the nose and the grain-bin dust flavor. (Its oiliness also cut through the pepperoni after-effects.) And, finally, it reminded me of the very wonderful taste of 62yo Dalmore I codged last fall from Master Blender Richard Paterson.

Then, as I read this thread, I see Dave's reference to Highland Park 12, so I think, "What the heck, I can -- and will -- have bourbon again tomorrow!"

The HP has a more caramelly depth to the nose and palate, with a touch of peatiness that balances any sweetness nicely.

I don't find nearly as many Scotches I like as bourbons, but these two are among them. A nice change of pace.