Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Dailuaine.
Bottler: Signatory.
Region: Speyside.
ABV: 46%.
Age: 12 years. Distilled in 2007. Bottled in 2020.
Cask type: Refill hogshead.
Price: $70 USD.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 4 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder (consistent through the whole bottle.)
Nose: vaguely fruity/vegetal notes up front, sweet and grassy, cereals, wet stones.
Palate: medium-full body ~ a florist’s shop, cut stems, a musty damp note, more wet stones.
Finish: medium-short ~ heat lingers a little bit even with some water, pepper, cut stems, cookie dough.
Conclusion: Somehow I missed posting this review in 2022, when I had this bottle open. I remembered that I’d written notes for it by comparison to the Teaninich I just reviewed, the link being that both these independent bottlings felt like they were matured in exceptionally neutral wood. In this case, inactive maturation brought out the floral qualities of Dailuaine’s distillate, particularly on the palate—I’ve found these notes in older (20+) bourbon cask Dailuaines, but they’re typically balanced by sweeter, fruitier notes from the longer aging. Here, without anything to balance it and little contribution from the cask, it comes across as considerably more one-sided. This is certainly not bad, though it’s far from the most interesting whisky I’ve tried from one of my favorite Scottish distilleries.
Final Score: 77.
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.
Malt Runners 