Dailuaine 27 Year Old
If you’re looking for a Christmas whisky but don’t enjoy Glenfarclas 15 – which is arguably the most Christmas-y drink you will find – I’d recommend you keep reading, because Dailuaine 27 from Master of Malt is a good contender for the honorable title of Christmas Dram of the Year 2011 – which I just made up now, and for which, if I’m honest, there are currently no other runners. Don’t let the admittedly thin starting field fool you, though – Dailuaine 27 would put up one heck of a fight if it had to.
Imagine you’ve just stuffed your face full of Christmas delicacies, once again failing to remember how last year you said you would never eat that much again, and find yourself slouched in the sofa regretting the limited capacity of your belly. We all know there are only two cures for this predicament: ice cream, and whisky. Dailuaine 27 combines the two, which is why I have nominated it for– scratch that: awarded it – the honorable title of Christmas Whisky of the Year 2011. As you muster up the effort to bring the glass to your nose you’re hit by a refreshing gingery note – which is good for your digestion, by the way – followed by buttery toast, sweet pipe tobacco and just a hint of licorice. As you let nature take its course and allow your hand to greedily pour a few drops onto your palate your tongue is instantly covered by its oily texture, and a veil of sweetness – soft gingerbread, warm honeycomb, vanilla, rum soaked raisins, cinnamon! With the drops making their way towards the back of your throat, they leave behind them a medium-long finish which, to my mind, is quite similar to Ben & Jerry’s cookie dough ice cream, but with an added twist of ginger.
Savor a glass or two of that over half an hour, perhaps forty-five minutes, and you’ll be ready for Christmas pudding.
Color: Warm, light, toffee.
Nose: Ginger, buttery toast, sweet tobacco, hint of liquorice.
Palate: Oily, soft gingerbread, warm honeycomb, vanilla, rum soaked raisins, cinnamon.
Finish: Cookie dough ice cream with ginger.
