WhiskyCritic vs. Dalmore 12-Year-Old
WhiskyCritic recently had the occasion [St. Patrick’s Day] and opportunity to imbibe a sampling of Dalmore 12-Year-Old single malt Scotch whisky and the experience should be the template for any whisky newbie who is giving single malt Scotch whisky their first post-college try.
The popular choice for the day was, of course, Jameson or Bushmills or any of a number of popular Irish whiskies – but WC was going against the grain on this night and avoiding the stampede toward the Irish whiskies – partially to give the bartender a well-deserved break and partially because the establishment actually carried Dalmore and therefore should be rewarded.
The Dalmore 12 arrived as if on a pedestal – but we have seen this exalted royal-like approach before and well-remembered the singed throat that accompanied it, so we were not swayed by the presentation and, if anything, were a bit skeptical. But the nose on the Dalmore soon melted our stiff upper lip WC resolve away and once the liquid hit our various mouth parts, it was essentially all over but the drinking.
Needless to say, the Dalmore 12-Year-Old went down smooth and there was no sassy backtalk that occasionally comes with some single malt Scotch whiskies when they initially arrive on the tongue. Some of these more haughty single malts talk the talk but when it comes to walking the walk down the throat, it becomes a different story altogether. Not so with the Dalmore 12. Upon its arrival, its fragrance was sweet and nutty and it followed that introduction with a smooth caress of the taste buds and nasal cavity.
In short, the Dalmore 12 arrived like a velvet hammer on the way to a velvet hammer convention and was not bothering to look for directions. Since it was imbibed on St. Patrick’s Day, we had to fend off many a leprechaun who were trying to steal it away from us.
WC awards Dalmore 12 a 90 on a scale of 100. It is both affordable and delightful to what we must assume would be a wide range of palettes. It is not the perfect whisky, but for the price, it is damn near close to it. WhiskyCritic gives our official thumbs up to Dalmore 12-Year-Old.