“Dalmore Than I Can Bear”
Whisky Review # 1056
Country: Scotland 🏴
Region: Northern Highlands
Brand: Dalmore The Quintet
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS
Age: NAS
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 44.5%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon casks with a finish in a very interesting mix of Moscatel, Madeira, Sherry, Port and Red Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon) casks
Chill Filtration: No
Average Price: US$ 100 (February 2025)
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon casks with a finish in a very interesting mix of Moscatel, Madeira, Sherry, Port and Red Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon) casks
Chill Filtration: No
Average Price: US$ 100 (February 2025)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😏 A bit too expensive for what it offers
Buying Advice: 👎 Better stay with the regular 12 Years or 15 Years
Colour:
Chestnut with shades of Orange (Artificially Coloured)
Nose:
Thinner than expected. The Red Wine & Port casks seem to have gained the upper hand although I get some old Sherry as well. The Nose is a mix of Sweet & Sour notes with lots of Dark Red Fruit. I get a little Sulfur but it's harmless. The Alcohol is noticeable. I do suggest to give this Dalmore sufficient time in the glass before Nosing as it opens up slowly. It's a bit Acidic as well.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Yeast, Dark Red Berries & Cherries, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas, Plums, Prunes, Apricots and Figs, Mixed Nuts, Seville-Orange, Red Grapes/Wine, Dusty Earth, Casks in a Dunnage Warehouse, Tobacco, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Cloves. A bit of Chocolate after a while.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Toffee, Honey, Brown Sugar, Dough, Straw, Blueberry Muffins, Banana, Pineapple, Cranberry, Dried Herbs, Wet Leaves & Paper, Polished Leather Upholstery, Pepper and Mint.
Palate:
A slightly Young, Thin and Hot mix of Bitter, Sweet and Sour notes. Nevertheless the Palate is my favorite part of this Dalmore for a change. Quite Dry and Tannic.
Main Flavours:
Toasted Grain, Vanilla, Dark Red Berries and Cherries, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Raisins, Plums, Prunes, Figs & Apples, Mixed Nuts, Seville-Orange, Licorice, Dark Chocolate, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves and Menthol/Mint.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Toffee, Honey, Syrup, Straw, Nectarine, Lemon, Grapefruit, Dusty Earth, Polished Leather Upholstery, Espresso, Wet Leaves, Coconut, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Ginger.
Finish:
Middle-Long, Tannic and a little Hot and on the Thin side. Sweet at first but with increasing Bitterness towards the Dry end. Some Sour notes as well. I find Sweet Toasted Barley, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Dark Red Berries & Cherries, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Prunes, Plums & Figs, Mixed Nuts, Honey, Straw, Dried Herbs, Red Grapes/Wine, Dark Chocolate, Dusty Oak, Dusty Track, Wet Leaves, Polished old Leather Upholstery, Cigar Box, Seville-Orange, Espresso, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Licorice and Menthol/Mint.
Colour:
Chestnut with shades of Orange (Artificially Coloured)
Nose:
Thinner than expected. The Red Wine & Port casks seem to have gained the upper hand although I get some old Sherry as well. The Nose is a mix of Sweet & Sour notes with lots of Dark Red Fruit. I get a little Sulfur but it's harmless. The Alcohol is noticeable. I do suggest to give this Dalmore sufficient time in the glass before Nosing as it opens up slowly. It's a bit Acidic as well.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Yeast, Dark Red Berries & Cherries, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas, Plums, Prunes, Apricots and Figs, Mixed Nuts, Seville-Orange, Red Grapes/Wine, Dusty Earth, Casks in a Dunnage Warehouse, Tobacco, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Cloves. A bit of Chocolate after a while.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Toffee, Honey, Brown Sugar, Dough, Straw, Blueberry Muffins, Banana, Pineapple, Cranberry, Dried Herbs, Wet Leaves & Paper, Polished Leather Upholstery, Pepper and Mint.
A slightly Young, Thin and Hot mix of Bitter, Sweet and Sour notes. Nevertheless the Palate is my favorite part of this Dalmore for a change. Quite Dry and Tannic.
Main Flavours:
Toasted Grain, Vanilla, Dark Red Berries and Cherries, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Raisins, Plums, Prunes, Figs & Apples, Mixed Nuts, Seville-Orange, Licorice, Dark Chocolate, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves and Menthol/Mint.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Toffee, Honey, Syrup, Straw, Nectarine, Lemon, Grapefruit, Dusty Earth, Polished Leather Upholstery, Espresso, Wet Leaves, Coconut, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Ginger.
Finish:
Middle-Long, Tannic and a little Hot and on the Thin side. Sweet at first but with increasing Bitterness towards the Dry end. Some Sour notes as well. I find Sweet Toasted Barley, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Dark Red Berries & Cherries, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Prunes, Plums & Figs, Mixed Nuts, Honey, Straw, Dried Herbs, Red Grapes/Wine, Dark Chocolate, Dusty Oak, Dusty Track, Wet Leaves, Polished old Leather Upholstery, Cigar Box, Seville-Orange, Espresso, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Licorice and Menthol/Mint.
Added Water does not improve The Quintet.
Rating: 7 (*******)
Nose: 7 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 6.5
*** Important Note with respect to Rating.
If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.
It's not really bad but I expected a lot more!
Conclusion:
The Dalmore distillery is located close to Alness and was founded in 1839 by Alexander Matheson. It is owned by Whyte & Mackay Ltd, part of Emperador Inc. During the last 15 years or so, Master Blender Richard Patterson did a lot to reposition Dalmore as a worldwide Single Malt. The distillery currently produces around 5.3 million litres but will increase the capacity to 9 million litres. in 2025. Everything should be ready by August this year. The core range exists of the 12, 12 Sherry Cask Select, 15, 18, 21, 25, King Alexander III, Cigar Malt Reserve and Port Wood Reserve. The current Travel Retail range introduced in 2019 includes The Trio, The Quartet and The Quintet.
In the majority of cases Single Malts that are part of the Travel Retail series tend to disappoint. The Quintet is no exception to the rule unfortunately. Exotic casks like the Moscatel and Madeira barrels, the 30 Year-old Matusalem Sherry barrels, the 10 year-old Port barrels and the Cabernet Sauvignon barrels can only partially hide the Youth of this Dalmore. And despite the adequate ABV there's a Thin feeling to this Quintet. I would love to see distilleries concentrating on good casks and their core range. And while I understand the commercial strategy behind Special Editions & Travel Retail Exclusives, you should probably stay with the core range as well. Despite the nice presentation and the stories!
Conclusion:
The Dalmore distillery is located close to Alness and was founded in 1839 by Alexander Matheson. It is owned by Whyte & Mackay Ltd, part of Emperador Inc. During the last 15 years or so, Master Blender Richard Patterson did a lot to reposition Dalmore as a worldwide Single Malt. The distillery currently produces around 5.3 million litres but will increase the capacity to 9 million litres. in 2025. Everything should be ready by August this year. The core range exists of the 12, 12 Sherry Cask Select, 15, 18, 21, 25, King Alexander III, Cigar Malt Reserve and Port Wood Reserve. The current Travel Retail range introduced in 2019 includes The Trio, The Quartet and The Quintet.
In the majority of cases Single Malts that are part of the Travel Retail series tend to disappoint. The Quintet is no exception to the rule unfortunately. Exotic casks like the Moscatel and Madeira barrels, the 30 Year-old Matusalem Sherry barrels, the 10 year-old Port barrels and the Cabernet Sauvignon barrels can only partially hide the Youth of this Dalmore. And despite the adequate ABV there's a Thin feeling to this Quintet. I would love to see distilleries concentrating on good casks and their core range. And while I understand the commercial strategy behind Special Editions & Travel Retail Exclusives, you should probably stay with the core range as well. Despite the nice presentation and the stories!
Cheers! Jan. 🥃
Jan van den Ende February 2, 2025
