Review by: The Muskox
Dallas Dhu has been preserved precisely was as it closed to this day, and now operates as a museum. You could turn the equipment on and have it producing whisky today… I’m just saying, if Malt Runners wanted to pool money together to buy a distillery, this would be a good one!
Distillery: Dallas Dhu.
Bottler: Signatory Vintage.
Region: Speyside.
ABV: 43%.
Age: 21. Distilled on August 5th 1982. Bottled on June 30th 2004.
Cask type: “Oak cask”.
Price: N/A, sample.
Color: Natural Color. Chill-filtered.
Nose: Sweet and peppery. Concentrated fruit notes of pineapple, pears, and some peaches. Pine needles and some fresh wood. Floured pizza dough, black pepper, old wool sweaters, and some kind of hard cheese (maybe pecorino).
Water adds a little orange peel.
Palate: Medium-thin texture. Arrives with bittersweet – the sweet is honeycomb, vanilla, white chocolate muffins. The bitterness is crushed basalt and peppercorns. Develops very piney, needles and bark, various herbs and roots, and some rye bread.
Finish: Medium-length, herbal and foresty. Light sweetness, peaches n’ cream. Overbrewed green tea and chamomile. Refreshing.
Possible SMWS bottling name: “Mid-afternoon moss-on-toast”
Conclusion: Not a bad experience for my first time with this distillery. The whisky is fresh and grassy but without getting too bitter or acrid as it develops on the palate. That pine character is apparently a Dallas Dhu hallmark. A more modern comparison might be midway between Glen Ord, Glen Elgin, and Imperial? In any case, reasonably tasty.
Final Score: 80.
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 