Port Wood Reserve is the first whisky for which Dalmore has used W&J Grahams casks. The result was such that Paterson chose them for three other prestigious new bottlings: a Dalmore 15yo Vintage 2001, an 18yo Vintage 1998 and a 20yo Vintage 1996. The Service has been prepared by us solely for information purposes to Members and the Service is based on information we consider reliable and we obtain the contents of the Service from a number of different third party sources (including Contributions), but we do not endorse, support, represent, warrant or guarantee the completeness, truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of the Services and any information therein. Utterly individualistic, this noble spirit displays a multitude of exotic flavours - a complete revelation!” says Richard Paterson, and who are we to argue! We may, but are not under any obligation, to release new functionalities and tools or other features for the Service every now and then. Any new functionalities, tools and features shall be part of and governed by the Terms from the moment they are launched and/or available. Further, we reserve the right to modify, change, discontinue the Service, add or remove features, update the Service, change its appearance, temporarily and permanently, at any time, in whole or any part thereof. An evolved take on the process used in The Dalmore 12, the 15-year expression is aged for 12 years in American bourbon casks before being split between three different styles of sherry woods: Amoroso, Apostles and Matusalem, for the rest of its maturation. The three threads are then merged together once again, creating The Dalmore 15. The distillery refers to this bottle as “the epitome of our house style,” suggesting perhaps that this expression is what they see as their true flagship, as it were. Like the 12 year, this is only 40% ABV (80 proof).

Without prejudice to the section Liability below, the Service may be temporarily unavailable during maintenance, updates, etc. We shall make reasonable efforts to inform you of any unavailability due to maintenance or updates. As with all Dalmore, the double gold-winning Port Wood Reserve is initially matured in American oak ex-Bourbon casks, laying down foundations for the hand-selected Tawny Port Pipes to work their magic with… bringing sumptuous layers of rich plumbs, orange, coffee and sweet cherry. It’s then bottled at a higher ABV than Dalmore normally bottle at - 46.5% ABV - which Paterson says gives “the optimum sensory experience”. The Dalmore’s age-stated expressions hew to a certain archetype of classic, sherried Highland malt, while the NAS selections are a bit more on the free-wheeling side, differentiating themselves in their styles of finish, unique flavor profiles and variation in proof point. Perhaps unexpectedly, the second cheapest Dalmore expression, Port Wood Reserve, is also the strongest in the entire core lineup, at a still fairly modest 46.5% ABV (93 proof). As the name would suggest, this entry shifts its focus away from the typical sherry and onto secondary maturation in aged tawny port pipes, with the added punch of proof clearly meant to give it another distinguishing characteristic.

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You are responsible for all activities through your account. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide to us in relation to your account, and for updating it where necessary. You are not allowed to create multiple accounts. We may terminate or temporarily suspend your account to protect you, ourselves or our partners from (suspected) identity theft or other (suspected) fraudulent (e.g. false, misleading, deceptive) activity. You have the obligation to keep your login credentials confidential. You shall not authorize any others to use or access your account. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. Finish: Quite long with earthiness, mushrooms and soils alongside cinnamon, tingly pepper and charred oak. The Internet has had a profound impact on the whisky industry. Its speed and reach have introduced swathes of new enthusiasts. Its breadth has greatly increased consumer knowledge. And its pervasiveness has, at least to a certain degree, democratised the accessibility and availability of an ever growing number of bottlings. But, at its heart, it is a sea of bias, disparagement and sometimes outright meanness. Much of this stems from human nature – people are biased, judgmental and mean – the Internet merely provides a platform to vocalise these inner tendencies without penalty. Whisky appreciation is far from impervious to this – indeed, there are times when it feels like it’s becoming as polarised as our society. A whisky with an air of nobility, in keeping with Dalmore’s tradition, but not complacent, but cheerful and vital, almost cheeky, especially on the nose. The use of ex-port casks may be risky, but when it is well modulated, as in this case, the drinker is sure to enjoy it.

This Dalmore Port Wood Reserve began its maturation in classic ex-Bourbon barrels. After an unspecified period of time, the whisky was split: one half continued to age in these barrels, while the other half was transferred to former Tawny Port pipes for a period of twelve to eighteen months. The two halves were then combined and bottled at 46.5% ABV. Tasting notesWhisky enjoyment should be exactly that – enjoyment. Whether it be with family, friends or quietly and contemplatively alone. But, increasingly I’m seeing the nature of Internet impinge on this – criticism passed off as critical thinking (they are not the same), disapproval and scorn meted out as effortlessly as a passing compliment, and above all, a worryingly privileged air of superiority, more often than not based on little to no actual knowledge. Sometimes I feel like I’m missing something – isn’t whisky appreciation meant to be fun? This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. Thankfully, there are perks to being a spirits writer, when it comes to setting up tastings. In the last few years, I’ve been consistently expanding my knowledge and tasting data of classic Scottish malt distilleries, falling in love along the way with the likes of GlenDronach, Oban, Arran and Glenfarclas. There was one prominent Highland name on my list, however, that I’d never sampled: The Dalmore. Figuring it was time to finally familiarize myself with this particular, sherry-rich lineup, I reached out to the distillery and ultimately ended up with samples of all 7 core Dalmore expressions.