The Dalwhinnie Distillers Edition undergoes a second (or ‘double’) maturation in casks that have previously held a fortified wine. It is highly appreciated due to the way the fragrance of Oloroso sherry overlays, but does not mask the heather honey distillery notes.
Tasting notes: Pale amber colour. Nose: fresh sherry, honeyed aspects. Peaty and heathery. Spicy yet grapy. Body: light to medium Palate: a big, spicy buzz followed by very clear, well defined malt flavours. After a quick burst of sweetness, a rich grape effect moves in. Finish: lots of oak, very dry with vanilla dominating.
The Dalwhinnie distillery, as many late Victorian distilleries, was bravely located in a desolate wind slaced site. The reason may be that it was closer to the geographic centre of the Highlands enjoying thus easy access to the market offered by the new Highland Railway. This helped the... distillery survive its beginnings, just as surely as Dalwhinnie's setting had earlier helped the village itself to gain an importance beyond its size. Dalwhinnie is a Gaelic word meaning 'plain of meetings'. Here, on these high windswept pastures between the Grampian and Monadhliath mountain ranges, 18th Century cattle drovers would pause on their journey south, over the Drumochter pass to the great trysts or cattle markets of Crieff and Falkirk. Where it can, Dalwhinnie retains the traditional ways. For instance, traditional wood is still used for its washbacks. Just two copper stills, as there have always been, send the alcohol into the lye pipes on its way to the stillman. As well as being a fine distillery, Dalwhinnie also has the distinction of being an official weather station, with one of the lowest recorded average temperatures in Great Britain.
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