Dalmore Quintessence

So this appears to have been aged in in American white oak ex-Bourbon barrels before being divided between five red wine casks: Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to then age for a further 5 years, then bottled at 45%. Apparently Richard Patterson has a passion for wine, but I don’t think this blend makes any sense outside of talking about how many wines you crammed into a whisky. I asked my wife to utilize her WSET Level 3 certificate to explain why someone would create a wine blend with all those grapes and she was stumped. Alas, Sir Richard Patterson show me your expert skills and make me a believer in this one. The nose starts with old oak front and center with the wine casks bringing some baked sour berries and a dusting of powdered sugar to keep everything in check before a creamy milk chocolate with toasted nuts that quickly leans towards a fruit salad of citrus, musty grapes and dark berries that transitions to a vintage antique leather wrapped armchair with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with old oak, moderately soured baked dark berries and a powdered sugar sweetness that quickly veers toward a high bitter, sour and drying earthy spice that eventually fades to dark chocolate orange, blackberry jam and sour cherries that transition to dusty old attic floors with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with a high bitter ashy oak, fruits of some light citrus and berry notes and dark chocolate. The nose was so promising with a balance of old oak, dark berries, citrus, and light sweetness, but the taste went from an enjoyable oaky berry pie to really just a high bitter sour mix that ruined the balance before fading to chocolate and fruits before finishing medium length with chalky ash and light fruits in the background. Overall, this is still a fairly enjoyable dram that I wish had a better balance without those overpowering high bitter flavors that prevented those dark berry flavors and old oak from really coming together well. Side by side with my Springbank 12 Batch 21 that has some ex-Burgundy and ex-Port cask influence, the Springbank delivers those rich berry flavors from the wine casks in a far better structured and balanced experience. This in no way deserves the $1k+ price tag and there are plenty of other options out there to provide a better whisky experience for far less.

Today i have achieved 5k followers on my instagram account (thewhiskritic) and decided to celebrate it in the best way possible: with a Dalmore Quintessence sample. Ok, lets start with my overall conclusion for this dram. It is not a begginer's dram. It is by far the most complex, different and difficult dram i have ever had. In a good way. Lets add some perspective here: this dram was made in limited proportions by Richard Patterson when he celebrated his 50th anniversary in charge of the Dalmore Distillery (how old is he?) It has been matured initially in american ex-bourbon casks (as most Dalmores) and then it was finished in 5 different californian red wine casks: Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Bottled at 45%abv, AMAZING red old oak color. On the nose, well it depends on how much time passes: First 5 minutes: Grapes, Lemon, Glazed pork, Orange old peel, Meaty; Citric but special. Syrup. Its not that powerful in the aroma at the beggining but definitively different. After 5 mins: blackberry marmalade. Blackberries. Wine. Hints of chocolate When it breaths, it releases milk powder aroma notes. After 10 minutes: banana. Maple syrup. It turns super sweet. Dehydrated fruits. Plums. SO FREAKING COMPLEX. Time for a sip (i got only about 3 sips with one 3cl sample, lets make them count). On the palate: It doesn't feel like whisky at all. Super light, Super winey. Chocolate, Tobbacco, some Bitter notes. spicy. After first sip chocolate invades the nose. Oranges bathed in chocolate is the exact aroma note now. AFTERTASTE WAS FANTASTIC. Long as a monday; Allspice, Pepper, Grape astringent, tannin, Ginger Incredible finish very winey. Clove. Marvelous. Orange zest aromas go crazy after the second sip. Chocolate and citric notes are now predominant. Mouth drying as wine. Overall i don't think this is the best whisky i have ever had (full bottle goes for around 1000 pounds in the U.K.), but it is the most challenging, complex, beautifully crafted whisky i have tasted. I give it a 100 points, because it is what whisky lovers and critics want, complexity, emotions and something different. Great dram, i wouldn't pay 1000 pounds for it (or for any other whisky), but definitively a joyful experience. Slaintè Mhath!

Nose : Apple and vanilla give the first impression, followed by a bit of spice reminiscent of the wine finish. The final nose impression is strong on citrus. Taste : Smooth and sweet, apple mix with the wine grape to bring an interesting acidity. Vanilla and citrus come after for an interesting complexity. Finish : Vanilla, citrus and malt lead the show. Quite short, but nice. A great bottle, but a way too hefty price tag!

Nose：Sponge cake, blackberry jam, vanilla, honey, peach. Palate：Toffee, cinnamon buns, buttered toast, jam, wine, ginger. Finish：Long and velvety. Berry jam, buttered toast, brown sugar.

looks great - adding to my wishlist