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A handful of Dràm Mòr Drams

Since the turn of the year, I’ve been focusing on longer form reviews with plenty of backstory and no small amount of ranting about the current state of the whisky world. This time around, I thought it would be fun to shake things up by raiding the sample cupboard. My wee rummage turned up a worryingly large assortment of Dràm Mòr drams that looked well worthy of further exploration. I grabbed some of the most interesting and reached for the Glencairn…

There’s a lot to get through here, so I’ll simply say that Dràm Mòr are a family-owned independent bottler based in Dumbarton, west of Glasgow. They’ve been around a few years now and have become a go-to for single cask whiskies. They also bottle rums and their Dumbarton Rock blended malt is a great affordable bottle. The samples I’m going to be tasting this time around, however, come from distilleries Linkwood, Glenglassaugh, Glenrothes, Laphroaig and Highland Park.

Linkwood 11-year-old

Linkwood is an old Speyside distillery. The spirit it produces largely services Diageo’s blends but the small amount that emerges as a single malt is generally of a very good quality. The lack of official bottlings means independents like Dràm Mòr are the best way to experience this spirit and this particular offering promises much. Interestingly, it was finished in a refill French oak oloroso hogshead that previously held Caol Ila, the Islay Single Malt.

Tasting notes: The sherry makes its presence felt from the start with walnuts and conkers and Autumn leaves. There’s toffee. There’s chocolate-covered raisins. Subtle oaky spices with nutmeg and cloves. A wee meaty note and the unmistakable whiff of peat. Lovely, weighty feel on the palate. Deep sherry with raisins and sultanas, toffee, nutmeg, clove, gingerbread, oak tannins, pepper, coffee-flavoured chocolates, ash, wood char and subtle smoke.

Thoughts: This is really quite special. The sherry plays a big role but stays in balance. The Linkwood spirit is robust enough to take whatever the cask has to throw at it. Sometimes I worry that the “ex-Islay cask” trend can lead to a feeling of the smoke being a tacked on afterthought but it feels well integrated here, like it’s always been part of the story. There’s a nice wee dryness on the finish which seems to pull the sherry back and let the smoke linger on alone. It’s a satisfying effect. An absolutely top class whisky.

Price: £70. Worth every penny. A wonderful dram.

Glenglassaugh 8-year-old

Glenglassaugh has been a hot topic of late. A well-meant instagram post from a departing staff member spread like wildfire and had many believing the distillery was closing down. Owners Brown-Forman have since confirmed that the distillery will continue to produce, albeit intermittently. In effect, the Benriach production team will run Glenglassaugh during the former’s silent season. It’s nice that the distillery isn’t closing down altogether, though it’s hard to feel too happy about a situation that’s left former staff jobless. It is, unfortunately, another sign of an industry that’s feeling the strain.

This Dràm Mòr expression was matured for 8 years, including a finishing period in former Cognac casks.

Tasting notes: The nose is grassy and fresh and a wee bit herbal. It’s also a bit bready with malty biscuit notes, lemon, custard creams and a touch of nutty oak. Almond flakes and peanuts. On the palate: toffee, vanilla, honey.. Madeira cake came to mind at one point. Toasted oak. Cereals. Caramel and woody spice. Dry finish.

Thoughts: A solid, if unspectacular wee dram from a distillery that’s never quite found its way in the whisky world. At first it seemed a wee bit whisky-by-numbers but with water and time in the glass I found myself enjoying it a lot more. As if often the case with Dràm Mòr, the finish has been well handled – the cognac adds some interesting layers without ever overpowering the base spirit. Maybe not one to get hugely excited about, but a decent wee malt all the same.

Price: £70. Didn’t really grab me enough to justify the price, though I’ve seen a lot worse.

Glenrothes 18-year-old

Glenrothes is a strange wee distillery. It’s been passed back and forward between Edrington and Berry Bros & Rudd (who recently followed Glenglassaugh’s lead by announcing job cuts) and it’s never quite fully established itself as a single malt brand in its own right. On a personal level, I’ve found the spirit can be quite hit or miss, often presenting a wee bit hot, but if there’s anyone who could uncover a good Glenrothes, it’s Dràm Mòr. The whisky is an impressive 18 years of age and was fully matured in a 1st fill oloroso cask. Sound the sherry bomb alarm!

Tasting notes: Aromas of treacle and syrup with dark chocolate truffles. Coffee. Galaxy Minstrels and Terry’s Chocolate Orange. Walnuts. New leather. Raisins and sultanas. Figs. Damp, old, dunnage warehouse, sherry casks. The arrival on the palate is full-on sherry material with lots of raisins, sultanas and even some dark cherries. Things turn oaky around the mid-palate with black pepper and dark chocolate (the proper, high cocoa content stuff). Dry finish with lingering sherry oak.

Thoughts: Sherry bomb fans will absolutely love this. For the sake of giving a full analysis, I could possibly accuse it of being a wee bit one-dimensional – Glenrothes often appears in super dominant sherry casks and I’ve never been convinced that the spirit has enough backbone to carry it. That said, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. Is it totally dominated by the sherry? Absolutely, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you’re in the mood for a classic, armchair-by-the-fire, evening whisky.

Price: £160. Certainly not cheap but the same price as the official 18-year-old bottling from Edradour which comes in at 43%. If I was looking for a Glenrothes 18, I know which one I’d be going for. Dràm Mòr all the way.

Highland Park 18-year-old

Highland Park has been a thread running through the entirety of my whisky journey. The standard 12-year-old was my starting point and I’ve revisited Orkney’s most famous product regularly since. Highland Park has gone through a few changes in that time. The bottle alone has had at least two redesigns since I first stumbled across it and the latest look has wisely stripped back the overload of Viking nonsense that plagued the brand for years. Indie HP doesn’t come along very often, at least not with the distillery name on the label, so it’s nice to see Dràm Mòr proudly stating their case with this 18-year-old single cask fully matured in a refill bourbon barrell.

Tasting notes: From the nose I got toasted oak, lemon meringue, custard creams, vanilla, cinnamon and distant grassy smoke. There was also a slightly savoury vibe going on, too. On the palate, lots of caramels, toffees and honeyed malt on the tip of the tongue. That shifts into some peppery heat and a blast of salt round the sides. Turns woody towards the back with a touch of liquorice and subtle, ashy notes. Old faded tobacco smoke in the finish.

Thoughts: This one I really enjoyed. It’s very nicely balanced and had a nice flow from arrival to finish. Especially after a splash of water. Feels like a classic Highland Park all-rounder – a bit of sweet, a bit of savoury, a bit of smoke, a bit of spice… and it all sits together beautifully. There was a real depth to the spices that I found particularly rewarding. It’s a simple whisky – in the best possible way. Dràm Mòr have taken a good spirit and left it alone to do its thing. It doesn’t need a fancy cask finish, just a bit of time. Cracking stuff.

Price: £190. It’s going to be beyond the budget of most whisky drinkers at this kind of price but it’s not a surprise – single cask Highland Park of this age doesn’t come cheap. Importantly, anyone who does stump up the cash will get something pretty special for their money.

Laphroaig 11-year-old

This is another statement of intent from Dràm Mòr. Independent bottlings of Laphroaig are few and far between and I couldn’t help feeling a wee ripple of excitement when I saw the name. This may not necessarily be my favourite Islay dram but there’s no doubt that for many, it is the brand that defines the island’s style. Here, Dràm Mòr have wisely allowed the distillery’s character to lead the way. It’s matured for the full 11 years in a refill bourbon barrel. Expect lots of smoke.

Tasting notes: The nose is surprisingly bourbon-led – there’s vanilla, toffee, pastries and cinnamon. That’s followed by the aromas of dry, smoky barley – it’s like nosing a handful of peated malt straight out of the kiln. A touch of fudge in amongst that malt. Maybe some toffee biscuits and then a wee touch of medicinal Laphroaig DNA – even a wee bit of Germolene in there. Lands on the palate with notes of honeyed malt, caramel and sweet pastries, pepper and wood spice. Charred oak at the back – feels like licking used fire wood. Burst of pungent peat at the end.

Thoughts: This is a cracking wee splash of Islay malt. It might not be as smoky as I expected but the peat is there and the medicinal notes are a nice call-back to the distillery character. Like the Highland Park above, this is a great example of letting a spirit breathe. Laphroaig doesn’t need sherry casks or fancy finishes. There’s more than enough in the spirit to deliver a satisfying sip. Dràm Mòr know that and have left well alone. Maybe won’t convert the poor unfortunate souls that are Islay non-believers but the enlightened ones will find plenty to enjoy here.

Price: £170. It’s a scandal that an 11-year-old Islay costs more than an 18-year-old Glenrothes but that’s got nothing to do with Dràm Mòr. It’s simply the sad reality of the popularity of Laphroaig – and the determination of owners Suntory to squeeze every last penny out of it. Cracking whisky, but too expensive.

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For more on Dràm Mòr visit here

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