WHISKY REVIEWS, NEWS, HISTORY & FOLKLORE
Dalgety
Dalgety Bay is a wee coastal town in Fife, around 8 and a half miles across the Forth from Edinburgh. It’s home to the ruined 12th century church known as St. Bridget’s Kirk but also serves as base of operations for Hannah Whisky Merchants, the firm behind the popular independent bottler, Lady of the Glen.
Hannah Whisky Merchants recently introduced a new range named after the town it calls home. The series features small batch single malts produced at distilleries all over Scotland.
The company’s Lady of the Glen range leans towards single cask expressions with big, dominant cask finishes but Dalgety features small batches, made up of two or three casks, with more subtle oak impact.
This is part one of a mini-series of reviews featuring small batch Speyside malts from the Dalgety range.
*Full disclosure: the sample featured in this review was sent to me free of charge. As always, I will strive to give an honest opinion on the quality of the dram and the value for money that it represents.
Glen Moray 2011 – 12 year old – Single Malt
Glen Moray lies to the west of the town of Elgin. It was established in 1828, part of the boom that followed the 1823 Excise Act. It began life as a sister distillery to Aberlour, before being taken over by Macdonald & Muir, owners of Glenmorangie and today, it’s run by French spirits group, La Martiniquaise. The distillery produces a light and fruity spirit and official bottlings explore a wide range of cask finishes with several budget-friendly expressions to be found on supermarket shelves.
This Dalgety expression combines two refill hogsheads to create an outturn of 683 bottles. The whisky is aged for 12 years and bottled at 52.2%.
Smell: It’s quite a typical Speyside nose with lots of orchard fruits and some gentle oak. There’s apples, pears and white grapes with a wee bit of melon. Some fresh bread with a touch of cinnamon. Also an unusual wee suggestion of smoke in the distance – subtle but just perceptible. Possibly from the char of the cask. Muesli. Peanuts. Custard cream biscuits. Sweet pastries. Icing sugar.
Taste: Quite a full, spicy arrival with lots of peppery heat. It’s grassy and malty with vanilla and toffee biscuits. The character of the oak comes in around the mid-palate with some baking spices and a wee touch of citrus. Apples and pears again before the finish, which is malty with some lingering, woody spice.
Thoughts: This wee dram presents itself almost exactly as you might expect a Glen Moray of its age and strength to do. The refill casks have a gentle impact on the overall experience which means the light, fruity spirit takes centre stage but it doesn’t feel too delicate, thanks largely to that higher bottling strength and its fullness of flavour. It’s quite a straightforward proposition – there’s nothing overly complicated going on here – but perhaps that’s it’s charm. It does a decent job of showcasing the lighter flavours of traditional Speyside whisky which, I must admit, isn’t a style I gravitate towards very often, but I still found this to be an enjoyable drop. It’s a well-produced, spirit-led Speyside and there will always be a call for that.
Price: £66. A decent price for a 12 year old malt at this sort of strength.
For more on Dalgety / Lady of the Glen visit here
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