A Scot on Scotch

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Dràm Mòr

Dràm Mòr is an independent bottler based in Dumbarton, just west of Glasgow. The name translates from Scottish Gaelic to big dram – an appropriate moniker for the bottles they’ve been releasing. This family business launched in 2020 and has established itself as one of the most popular indie bottlers in Scotland. Over the next few reviews, I’ll be exploring some of their recent releases, beginning with a dram from Aberfeldy Distillery in the Scottish highlands.

*Full disclosure: the whisky 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 whisky and the value for money it represents.

Dràm Mòr Aberfeldy Review

Aberfeldy is an attractive distillery on the outskirts of the village that shares its name. It sits in picturesque countryside on the banks of the River Tay and features architecture designed by Charles Doig, including his famous ventilator – better known as the pagoda roof that became synonymous with the look of distilleries all over Scotland.

The distillery was established by the famous Dewar family who needed a reliable source of malt whisky for their best-selling blended Scotch and produces a light, fruity spirit.

This Dràm Mòr single cask was distilled in 2015 and bottled, 9 years later, in 2024. The whisky was finished in a first-fill Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel. It’s bottled at 54.8%.

Tasting notes: The nose has all the bourbon vanilla notes you’d expect from a Buffalo Trace barrel. There’s honey and biscuits. There’s apple tarts dusted with cinnamon. There’s orange and lemon, a bit of maltiness and oak. The palate follows a similar theme: honeyed malt, baked apples and dry oak. There’s a bit of oaky char around the sides. Some toffee apples and a drying finish with the oak taking over. With time in the glass, it developed a satisfying buttery note.

Thoughts: I know some people hate the word, but “smooth” seemed to apply to this dram in more ways than one. It’s got a lovely silky texture, boosted by the buttery vanilla qualities of the cask finish and there’s a lack of any spirit heat that makes it an easy-sipping experience. The barrel becomes dominant as it moves into the finish but enough of the spirit character comes through before the oak takes over and with a splash of water I found some fresher spirit notes like pine trees and lemon & lime. If, like me, you enjoy the Aberfeldy core range but get frustrated at the low abv, this is the dram for you.

Price: £62. An accessible price for a cracker of a dram.

For more about Dràm Mòr visit here

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