Dalwhinnie 30 Year Old Special Release 2020 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 70cl
This ultra-rare single vintage Dalwhinnie has an astonishing bright intensity for its age and comes uniquely from refill American oak hogsheads, all of which were casked in 1989. Three decades of maturity have bought a fine elegance to the vibrant distillery character, allowing its moorland aromas to peak. The result is smoothly sweet, yet also surprisingly peppery.
From the highest distillery in Scotland, part of her coldest inhabited community, Dalwhinnie is a mountain malt. It is as well adapted to its location and as lively in taste as the nearby mountain hares that box for supremacy in spring.
The aroma is gentle; sweet and fragrant with herbal scents, subtle traces of butterscotch and hard fruit candy, and a base of spicy wood. The texture is smoothly creamy, the vibrant taste richly sweet overall, with a drying, gradually building peppery-spicy warmth. The finish is long and delightfully warming.
A very limited high-aged release of only 6.978 bottles available worldwide.
Serving Suggestion: A fine Dalwhinnie with astonishing intensity for its age; even more vibrant and warming than will be expected from younger expressions, and easiest to enjoy with a drop of water.
Medium.
Long and warming. Water cools the heat, yet leaves some warm spice in the aftertaste.
Mellow in feel, with some prickle, and slightly dry. The aroma is reserved, dusty and somewhat closed to start with. Sweet and fragrant with moorland scents and dried herbal notes, subtle traces of butterscotch and boiled sweets, and a pencil-box base of new wood. Adding water brings up a subtle hint of match striker.
At natural strength, smoothly creamy and slightly astringent in texture, the vibrant taste richly sweet overall, with a drying, gradually building peppery-spicy warmth. With a good drop of water, the taste profile is barely altered, but the taste is now more even-tempered as well as sweet and spicy, and clean and fresh too.
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