Dailuaine 16 Year Flora & Fauna

Nose: Sherry, dried fruits, aromatic pine resin, heavy vegetal notes, caramel toffee. Old fragrant oak furniture and cedar cigar boxes. Malty and nutty aromas. There's a trace of sulphur as well, but it works in the context. With water the nose lightens and gains more woody aromas [the dry glass is sherry and aromatic cedarwood]. Palate: Sweet arrival, a heavy sherry-based entry turning rapidly spicy. A heavy, viscous texture that focuses squarely on malt. Burnt sugar, oak tannins, milk chocolate, coffee and pine resin (but sweet). Christmas cake. Water melds everything together and brings out a mild minty note, which is very pleasant. Finish: Medium/long. Nutty, woody and sweet/sour malt. On the one hand this whisky could be accused of being a ham-fisted as it uncompromisingly lays on heavy aromas and flavours. Subtle, this ain't. On the other, it can be celebrated for it's no-holds-barred exuberance and body and it is a very satisfying dram to curl up with on a cold evening. In some ways it's like the whisky that Dalmore could be if it tried harder. It could rival some Glendronach expressions and it's a bit like a younger, less monstrous brother of Glenfarclas 105. It's also easy to see why Diagio values this distillery - the whisky provides brawn and depth of palate to balance the light aromas of their other house malts when used as core components in Johnnie Walker blends. One of the better malts in the Flora & Fauna series (and increasingly difficult to find now). It's not a sophisticated dram, it's a bruiser and a good one that is equally enjoyable neat or with water. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Wooho I'm done (for now). Yes that's right folks, four score and roughly 1 year or whenever ago I embarked on my virtual whiskey pilgrimage. Inspired by such pioneers as PBM, LeeE, GP, Telex, Scott E and others who were on a collective quest to sample all of Scotlands active distilleries I ploughed my way through 100+ open and closed distilleries (sometimes repeatedly). I took the Ben Saunders route vs the team Amundsen effort and unlike Ben made it! (Ok I'm not for one moment comparing my experience to crossing the entire Antarctic solo but hey I love to stretch a good analogy :-)). Now technically I constrained myself to those open in the last millennium as most of the young whippersnappers open in the last decade and a bit you can't get and yes Speyside I need to tick you off one day as I thought you weren't even a distillery (seriously who names a distillery after the region?) but I'm planting my flag claiming the glory and one day (later this year) I'll pick up my walking stick again and pick off the few new available distilleries + Speyside in a single night. Anyhow I think it's fitting I end on a Flora & Fauna offering as it sums up the spirit of my adventure well. A simple standard offering from a distillery...the type I mostly tried to aim for. Lovely biscuity caramel nose and palate, cherry (in a good way), sherry and much more going on. A bit thin on the finish but still at least a 4 maybe 4.25 given its perfect balance and one of the top F&F offerings out there.

I would very much like to rate this higher, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark for a terrific pour to me. I bought this bottle at a shop in Edinburg when I was in Scotland this summer celebrating the completion of my PhD. The wife, a few friends and I did a tasting at a shop on the royal mile (where the hitter that day was a surprise Tomatin 18) and the gentleman facilitating the tasting coaxed me into buying this bottle. I was five whiskies in and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Who was I to argue?! It’s a Diageo product. 43%. Chill filtered. Yada yada. Nose is….Sherry. Only Sherry. A few years ago that would have been enough, but I get no wood, no spirit character, nothing. Where’s the 16 years? It’s a nice nose, but one dimensional. It tastes perfectly acceptable. Creamy, some fruit, velvety Sherry blanket. But you can find that in a lot of scotches for less money and time (this one isn’t available in the US). Finish, again, is perfectly serviceable but one dimensional. Bit spicy, medium length. For sixteen years I was expecting more complexity. Even among Diageo products, there’s 16 year whiskies with far more punch (like…Lagavulin….maybe that’s apples and oranges…), but I can certainly why this distillery is mostly used as blend filler in Johnny Walker. Good, serviceable, one note, good as a part of a larger whole. I’ll enjoy it, and likely keep the empty bottle as a keepsake from my Scotland trip, but I’m not going out of my way to replace it. Cheers all!

Smell: Medium light intensity smell. Floral, minty, dark roast espresso, minor dark chocolate. On the second sniff, I get more almonds and dried fruits (raisins, figs and dates). Somewhat soapy. Taste: Follows the nose pretty well with a ton of dark chocolate and dark roast espresso. A ton more almonds and dried fruits than the smell. The mint and floral notes are still there but much more minor in here. Some candied oranges and light brown sugar. Finish: Finish is loaded with cacao, some oak tannins and pepper. Decent intensity and last decently long. Not particularly complex finish but still decent. Mouthfeel: Medium to light body and little to no oiliness. Quite disappointing but considering it's only 43 ABV and chill filtered, it was to be expected. Overall: They say this is aged 16 years in sherry casks but there is no doubt to me at all that those are refill recharred casks. There is a ton of roasted notes, so much so they almost come off as slightly smoky even though there isn't any peated malt in this. Not necessarily a bad thing but this whisky doesn't have the sherry bomb-ness and complexity I expected. At least it explains the super dark color. This is pretty good but has a couple of faults that cost it in the overall score. The light soapiness, low intensity smell, just okay finish and disappointing mouthfeel are all problems. But, at least, the taste is very good. Would have been much better at 50 ABV and no filtration.

Der Dailuaine 16 Jahre ist ein üppiger und dunkler Whisky, der seine sherrygeprägten Aromen gekonnt ausspielt. Die Fässer: Die Reifung des Dailuaine 16 Jahre findet ausschließlich in spanischen Sherryfässern statt. Dabei dürfte es sich vollständig oder fast vollständig um Oloroso-Sherry-Casks handeln, welche für ihren trockenen und körperreichen Geschmack bekannt sind. Wie riecht er? Der Dailuaine 16 Jahre riecht vollmundig, üppig und schwer. Wir riechen Aromen von Brombeeren, Erdbeeren, Aprikosen und Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. Im Mittelteil kommen würzige Aromen von krossem Roggenbrot, Spuren von Leder und Kohle sowie Eichenholz zum Tragen. Mineralische Sherry-Noten leiten zum Abgang über, welcher trocken, dunkel und schwer ausfällt. Das Alter und die Reife des Dailuaine 16 Jahre sind deutlich zu erkennen. Wie schmeckt er? Im Mund wirkt der Dailuaine dunkel, schwer sowie holzbetont. Mit Noten von Brombeeren, Pflaumen und Rosinen, kombiniert mit zeigt er sich aber auch von seiner süß-fruchtigen Seite. Ergänzt werden diese Aromen durch herbe Orangenschale und Herrenschokolade sowie getreidige und erdige Noten mit Zimt und Muskatnuss. Der Abgang wird von würzigen Eichenholznoten und Spuren von Holzkohle bestimmt, mineralische Sherry-Aromen bleiben am Gaumen zurück.

Versailles! Home of that tyrant and PR king Louis 14th. Top ratings to the Hotel bar for its selection of whiskey given it is French Cognac and Brandy territory! Ummm I like an underdog whats with Marcus rating this at 82? Deserves higher given its good value for money! Damn Brexit I say to the bartender an Asian lady who knows her stuff! NOSE: Apple Apple Apple crisp, I get the morning dew malarkey as well, gentle, nice on a hot day like this; PALATE: waxy, though not as waxy as how do you spell it Craigellechie, intensely spicy I mean Madras! Full bodied, sour apples, a hint of smoke, old wine gums; FINISH: medium to long leaving strong hints of stewed fruit, a little hint of bitter chocolate and then it’s done! A much under-rated and less well known brand but sitting here just minutes from a building that is Pre-trump but sickeningly Trumpian in philosophy which turns my stomach (the man not the building) this dram saves the day and reminds me that quality lies in the integrity with which you build your image and brand! Vive le Revilucion! Vive le France!