Dalmunach 6 Year Old 2015 The Octave for Saint Mac

I only recently tried a Dalmunach 2015 for Klubb23 and behold, here is a sister cask. This one first matured on a bourbon cask before it got a finish of 3 months on a small sherry wood cask. I can imagine the taste is similar. Duncan Taylor already released more than 25 of these octaves, most of them as private casks. This one was selected by my good friend Gunther Moonen for his shop Saint Mac. Only 65 bottles were available and with a friendly price tag of only 65 EUR they sold out in a flash.

Immediately my nose is spoiled with a panoply of fruity and candy-like notes. Think poached pears, sweet apples, candy-floss, caramel (lots of it), vanilla custard and roasted hazelnuts, popcorn with butter and a hint of ginger. The note of wood in the background doesn’t disturb in the least.

Good body. Strength is nigh on perfect. Sturdy arrival without any bite. Milk chocolate, caramel en fudge, peach with honey, rum raisins, hint of orange liqueur. Very spicy. Cloves and liquorice, but also salted caramel and a hint of chewing tobacco. Again some wood, but again: it does not bother at all. Au contraire, it gives this young malt both weight and character.

The finish is surprisingly long and satisfying on warm spices and a hint of candied ginger.

Very good cask selection, Gunther. Surprising how could a young whisky can be if matured – or finished – on good wood. That was certainly the case here. I’m very impressed. And not surprised in the least they sold out immediately.