Dalmore 1973 30 Year Old Sherry Cask

Dalmore 1973 30 Year Old

• Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• Distillery Bottling

70cl / 42%

Firstly, A bottle that was opened freshly last night. I’ve had this one a few times but never recorded notes. Although, there are quite a few different batches. Colour: light amber. Nose: amazing freshness. What’s so striking is that this could almost be a modern Dalmore bottling with this profile of bready, gingery, rich and opulent sherry. In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking it could be a fake if you’d been poured it randomly. Dalmore 1973 30 Year Old Sherry Cask

Although, having opened the bottle myself, I can say for sure it’s the real deal. Seriously rich, bready, nutty, lightly spicy, gingery, slightly meaty and rather fatty. It’s a very strange mix of modern and slightly old school. Hard to know what to make of it in some ways. But on a technical basis it is very good. Mouth: was there rye in the mash? Seriously this is spicy and full of pumpernickel bread, spiced blood orange, waxed canvas, baking parchment, toasted cereals, brown bread and orange cordial. Dalmore 1973 30 Year Old Sherry Cask

Again, blind you could say this was a current Dalmore 30 perhaps. Even though there are quite a few more extreme wee parts which allude to an older style. Bamboozling whisky. Finish: long, leathery, earthy, dry, slightly minty, gingery, still very bready and still quite meaty. Comments: This is not the first time I’ve had similar feelings about these old Dalmore 8s. Maybe this bottle should be called Patterson’s Revenge? I find it extremely hard to pin down. When you try the 20yo in this series it feels unmistakably ancient in style. This one feels like a real mishmash of the contemporary and the old school. Despite the convolutions though, I definitely like it and I certainly think it’s technically very good whisky.