Dailuaine 34 yo 1980 Special Release 2015 50.9% vs Dalmore 27 yo 1990 / 2017 MacKillop’s Choice #252 54.6%
Dailuaine 34 yo 1980 Special Release 2015 50.9%
Dailuaine is a heavy and meaty spirit, and here the wood is equally verbose. So: big boned with baked fruit, sweet oil and herbal tea then honeyed notes of yellow flower, pollen and natural wax. Fresh filo pastry, warm butter and tinned fruit. A real boatload of oak in the form of tobacco, creme, and woodspice like cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper. There’s really quite a panorama to enjoy here. And manages an almost-sulphurous bristle on the tongue without excess – yes, that’s the spirit. Expert blending and immaculate balance. 90 pts
Dalmore 27 yo 1990 / 2017 MacKillop’s Choice #252 54.6%
How very different. This one smells of oil ink, pressed flowers and handmade paper tokens. Yet new rubber and plaster fibreboard are apparent, and somewhere behind a musty notes of mushrooms on wet wood. Sounds odd but somehow it works together. The tongue sees some astringent wood spice in the shape of nutmeg, anise and white pepper; But wine gums and pineapple juice also show up. Warm fruit to the finish. Most interesting whisky this year so far I think. 88 pts
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