Dailuaine 13 Year (2006), SMWS 41.126 “Garden Bonfire Dram”

Review by: Whiskery Turnip

Distillery: Dailuaine.

Bottler: SMWS.

Region: Scotland/Speyside Single Malt.

ABV: 57.1%. Cask Strength.

Age: 13 Years. Distilled on 14 July 2006.

Cask type: Oloroso Butt (10Y), Heavily Toasted Medium Charred European Oak Puncheon.

Nose: Cherries, wood, and chocolate; baking spices and aromatics; mineral oil, wood polish, and malty molasses bread loaves.

Palate: Full-bodied, unctuous waves of molasses, baking spices, cherries, and plums; sticky buns and malty pastries; lacquered wood and chocolate brownies.

Finish: Long with tingling pepper, drying astringency, oak, and dried fruit.

Mental Image: Decadent Desserts and Candlelight.

Conclusion: Cherries and lacquered wood bloomed with rich dark chocolate and unctuous bubbling spices— peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, and rosebuds. A touch spirited at times, wood ran throughout with mineral oil, wood polish, and dark molasses bread. Full-bodied and unctuous, the flavor profile featured a tidal wave of molasses and baking spices with rivers of cherries and plums interspersed.  Sticky buns and malty pastries carried on with hints of chocolate, fudge brownies, and plenty of lacquered wood.  The finish was long with tingling peppery spirit, a touch of drying astringency, oak, and dried fruits.

Intense— in one word. These big old cask bombs are not usually to my taste, but every once in a while, they just tickle my fancy with the right balance of sweet fruits, wood, and savory undertones.  This had all of that and I would rank it just a hair behind a beloved sibling cask (SMWS 41.127).

Overall, a cracking cask-driven affair, though the malt was no slouch and never disappeared under the influence of the oloroso butt and heavily charred new European oak puncheon. As a good friend would likely put it, a real “unga-bunga” malt.

Final Score: 84.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

Published by Whiskery Turnip

Whisky reviews from Hawaiʻi and beyond. My wife is a peat monster; her influence can be seen in my preferences for earthy, dirty, and sometimes very weird malts. If given a choice, I will almost always choose whisky from a refill cask, especially regarding sherry. I am a big fan of the world whisky scene, especially single malts. You will not find my reviewing much more than whisky, but I am also a big fan of sake.

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