Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old bottled 1980s

Nose: Light and fresh. Lemon and orange peel, sweet tones arise and wrestle with the spirit which is barely noticeable. No heavy or pungent smell, very gentle and light. A pleasure to nose because it has complexity and many layers. I can keep my nose in this glass for a while! Do I now scent almond and vanilla? Pines and forests, trees and wood. This is brilliant!

Colour: A beautiful yellow with an orange tinge.

Taste: Smooth! A gentle citrus with strong orange and sweetness. Complex layers of citrus and wood vie for attention as almond and very delicate smoke. Very different to the peated Islay malts I have thoroughly enjoyed until now. Am I convert? Possibly!! I am reminded of my time in the mountains of Europe, sipping berry fruit tea spiked with brandy in a wooden lodge at an incredible height!

Finish: Fantastic! It is an absolute pleasure sipping on this dram. The flavour lingers on my tongue. It is gentle, and the warm glow travels down and remains. Lovely!

Overall: This is fantastic. Simply wonderful whisky. I enjoyed my peated whisky very much, but Dalwhinnie 15 brings my whisky tasting experience to an entirely new level and it displays the sheer diversity of whisky and the abundance of different flavours and expressions of whisky. This dram is unlike anything I have tasted, a very different experience for a drinker of Islay malts and Talisker.

Find where to buy Dalwhinnie whisky