It’s safe to say that as far as scotch whisky distillery house styles go, The Dalmore has long been a favorite for me. Combining a richly fruity but balanced Highland single malt whisky base with decadent secondary maturations in a variety of sherry and port casks across a range of brands, it’s a flavor profile that often hits right around my personal sweet spot. As such, it’s always a treat to sample a few new limited releases bearing The Dalmore’s iconic stag horns, and I’ve got a qualifying duo today: 2023’s entries into the company’s Vintage Collection, The Dalmore Selection Edition 2005 and 2008.
The Vintage Collection is more or less what it sounds like–every November, some of the company’s most exceptional casks are chosen and blended to represent specific vintage years. As the company puts it:
The Vintage Collection 2023 proudly showcases the iconic chocolate and orange flavor profile that The Dalmore is renowned for. In this year’s releases, the Select Edition 2005 (18 years old) and 2008 (15 years old) Dalmore Highland Single Malts have been carefully hand-selected from the most exceptional casks The Dalmore has to offer. Only the very best go on to be bottled as part of The Vintage Collection.
Naturally, one pays a premium for “the most exceptional casks” at cask strength, with bumps to the already pricy reputation of well-aged Dalmore expressions. The 15-year-old 2008 expression carries an MSRP of $200, roughly $50 more than the flagship Dalmore 15, while the $500 MSRP of the 18-year-old Dalmore Select Edition 2005 represents a substantial jump from the sticker price of the flagship Dalmore 18. Such has always been the nature of vintage scotch, so this isn’t terribly surprising.
With that said, let’s get to tasting these two new, limited expressions.
The Dalmore Select Edition 2008
ABV: 45.8% (91.6 proof)
On the nose, this 15-year-old Dalmore expression from 2008 casks is the sweeter and more upfront of the two samples I’m evaluating here, really reveling in the sherry cask maturation even in comparison with flagship Dalmore bottles from the Principal Collection. I’m getting maple and orange zest, as well as bold nuttiness and sherried character. There’s honey here, drizzled over sticky dried fruit, evoking prune. The whole thing gives an air of rich decadence and heavy fortified wine character.
On the palate, this displays heavy dark dried fruitiness, along with dark honey, oxidized nuttiness, citrus and apricot-like stone fruit. I’m also getting creamy milk chocolate, transitioning slowly into the roasty, coffee-like finish I often get from Dalmore expressions. It’s a familiar type of profile to lovers of sherried single malts, playing many of the hits as it were, and is easy to enjoy. In terms of the sherry character, this likewise feels like one of the most assertively sherried expressions I’ve tasted from the distillery, so lovers of “sherry bomb” scotch whiskies will want to take notice. Very vinous, very decadent stuff here.
The Dalmore Select Edition 2005
ABV: 49.3% (98.6 proof)
When I first began nosing the impressively stout (98.6 proof!) cask strength expression of Dalmore Select Edition 2005, it actually seemed curiously indistinct or shy to me. More time began to reveal that this is an expression that really benefits greatly from some time in the glass, being almost mandatory to wake up this spirit. The nose starts with toasted malt and shortbread, citrus zest and leather, with cinnamon and maybe the tiniest whiff of smoke. More time exposed to the air wakes up more of the sherry cask influence, with rum raisin, roasted nuts and vinous fruit joining an increasingly complex medley.
On the palate, this is nutty, earthy and sweet up front–it’s actually a little bit funky and almost meaty, though that impression is quickly overtaken by waves of stewed dark fruit, dried fruit, vanilla cake, citrus and finally mocha. Over time, the trademark Dalmore orange is really coming to the fore, putting up big Creamsicle notes alongside the vanilla. At the same time, this also possesses a complex leathery and earthy backbone, making for a soulful malt to dissect. The whole time this was in the glass, it seemed to be getting better–and I must say, the 98.6 proof is extremely well integrated. Tasting this whisky blind, I never would have expected it to be that high, though it helps to account for the complexity of its flavors.
All in all, this 2005 Select Edition expression delivers the kind of unique character and complexity you’d be hoping to find in a whisky sporting this kind of sky-high MSRP. Most definitely a dram for special occasions.
Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident beer and liquor geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.