Dalwhinnie Winter's Gold

Very interesting. This is meant to be placed in the freezer and then sipped at ice cold temp. So naturally, I first tried it at room temp, as is. It’s unmistakably a Dalwhinnie. There’s still that gentle, balanced palate with crisp apple, fruits and honey, plus a touch of peat smoke - the notes that the distillery is known for. It reminds me an awful lot of the classic 15, but with a few noticable changes. The difference here is in two places. On the nose, I think there’s a lighter fruitiness that I would maybe liken to apricot. I don’t believe it suffers much ar all in comparison to 15 in this regard. However, on the palate, it’s less balanced. A hint of spice and bitterness jumps up, and this detracts somewhat from the honeyed, crisp-apple finish that we get on the 15. In my opinion, this does diminish the palate/finish just a touch, but the quality is still well above average. Now, to try it as the distiller’s intended, after a long stay in the freezer…. With the newfound frigidity, not much has changed on the taste front (which is unsurprising because that’s not how taste really works), although I did notice a slight dissipation of the bitterness on the finish as it’s overpowered by the chill. Beyond that, I can definitely say that the flavor profile plays out nicely at the low temp. The whiskey works either way, whether you drink it chilled or at room temp. But I have to say (and I could just be a hapless victim of the marketing) I think I do prefer it chilled as the distillers suggest. Altogether, it may fall a hair short of the 15, but I think this is a really cool offering from an amazing distillery. Definitely worth a try.

It’s an interesting concept to make a cold weather whisky in Scotland. It’s seldom exactly warm here. Dalwhinnie Distillery is at a high altitude in a beautiful, fairly remote location and does tend to get some pretty typically ‘Scottish’ weather. They suggest you serve straight from the freezer. To my taste, it enhances the spicy notes, but dulls some of the lighter flavours. The upfront flavour is a wide range of spices and a good hit of alcohol. It has a sweet honey note and a background of light smoke, but mostly it’s the spice that dominates - pepper, chilli, cinnamon. The flavour develops to bring out the fruit, apple and orange, but this is very much second fiddle to the spice. It has a pleasant medium long spicy, peppery finish. For it’s cheap price point, this is a very lovely dram. I’ve gone through a few bottles of this already and it will have a regular place in my cabinet.

I am very ashamed that after 347 whiskies, i just had a Dalwhinnie, one of "the 6 classic malts of Scotland". And i am not even going for the most iconic and classic one, the 15yo. This one called "winter's gold" has the perk of been distilled only in winter, so that's that. 43%abv, Burnished gold color. Yep, winter and golden. On the nose it is quite good, with wedding cake notes, strawberry marmalade, burnt cake crest and heather. Actually it prepared me for a great time in the palate that just didn't happen. On the palate, prunes, earthy peatiness, salt and coastal flavors. Reminds me too much of an Oban. Aftertaste is very, very, very short and that is why it lost most of the points. Overall this is a pleasant dram, nothing from out of this world and you won't die if you never taste it, 71 over 100.

this old friend has been with me for several years now. It's been overlooked for newer and more american whiskey stars as I explored the realm of bourbon. Tonight, I say goodbye to this sweet gem. It's gentle flavor is like sipping honey while salt spray from the ocean makes a subtle appearance in your glass. If you could taste the color gold, this would be it. My tastes have outgrown this tame liquid but I will remember it fondly after finishing the last of the bottle while watching the vicar of dibley

I fell in unconditional love with Dalwhinnie on the day I visited their distillery in Scotland 2 years ago. I did not want to leave at the end of the day. But having purchased a few bottles I’ve been a devoted follower and buying a Dalwhinnie wherever in NYC I find one. Perfect for turning a non-whisky drinker into a single-malt connoisseur. Highly recommended (and ‘15’) as well as paying a pigrimage to Dalwhinnie’s distillery when in the Highlands.

Lots of honey and vanilla on the nose with a hint of a ripe juicy apple? Slight bit of wood influence too. In the mouth, silky smooth, with initial spice. Once that calms, the sweetness comes out, with lots of vanilla. The finish has a sugary sweetness with one more streak of spice for about 2 seconds, then fades. The wood then softly comes up as a very faded note. A great dessert whisky!