November 22, 2024 12:45 am

Dalmore 14

“The Dalmore 14 is a truly exceptional expression combining the beauty of The Dalmore Scotch Whisky from Scotland with the delicacy of rare sherry casks from Spain. This whisky showcases delicious notes of citrus and rich caramel, harmoniously balanced. The sweet intensity of sun-drenched Pedro Ximénez sherry wine perfectly complements The Dalmore’s distinctive house style of chocolate orange and subtle spice. Ideal to cherish” 

~ Gregg Glass

Master Whisky Maker, The Dalmore

Scotland’s Glasgow based Whyte & Mackay Master Whisky Maker, Gregg Glass, has created Dalmore’s latest and exceptionally unique ‘Principle Collection’ whisky expression. Joining the distillery’s heavy hitter Dalmore 18 and King Alexander III expressions, Dalmore 14 is aged in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, and finished in rare Pedro Ximinez sherry casks, hand selected from The House of Gonzalez Byass, Spain. The first Dalmore ‘Principle Collection’ whisky of its kind!

Whyte & Mackay, founded in 1844, is a multi-award winning single malt scotch whisky producer, who’s award winning portfolio includes The Dalmore, Jura, Fettercairn, and Tamnavulin. The company’s team is led by Gregg Glass, and industry icon, Master Whisky Distiller Richard “The Nose” Paterson. Often referred to as ‘the Picasso’ of the whisky world, for his ability to paint a portrait with whisky flavors, Paterson is known for his eccentric, brief demonstration, on how to properly drink scotch whisky:

This exciting new whisky will be released this fall, exclusively to the United States. In June, Dalmore 14 bottles were pre-released at multiple Chicago area Binny’s Beverage Depot locations. Whiskey Network was also on scene for a special Chicago pre-release dinner and Dalmore 14 tasting, featuring a guest appearance presentation by Gregg Glass, along with his trusted and passionate Single Malt Whisky Specialist, Ben Boice.  On June 8th, at downtown Chicago’s Izakaya at Momotaro chique Japanese restaurant, I was privileged to participate in this exclusive ‘whisky dinner’. This incredible sampling experience also included Dalmore’s fantastic unaged distillate, Gonzalez Byass PX wine, recently released Dalmore 12 Sherry, epic six cask finished King Alexander III, and very bold tasting Dalmore 18. 

Dalmore 14

Single Malt Scotch
American White Oak Ex-Bourbon & Pedro Ximenez Cask Finished
Age: Minimum 14 Years
Bottled at 43.8% ABV
Price: $89.99

Nose: 95/100

Sweet and breezy cinnabon cereal frosting over citrusy caramelized cranberry brioche.

Palate: 96/100

Fresh and zesty! Crisp citrus, aged dunnage warehouse mustiness, raisins, cocoa, and berries over sweet cinnamon. “You’re getting classic antique properties on the palate” ~ Gregg Glass

Finish: 95/100

Beautiful lingering citrus and marmalade, perfect kiss of peppermint and black licorice spice. 

Overall: 95/100

Like Christmas in a glass, with a zesty fresh and creamy citrus summertime twist!

Recommendation: Definitely worth buying a bottle, and a back up bottle!

This beautiful bold dram has the same fascinating, musty dunnage warehouse character, and dark red fruit profile as the Dalmore 18, for less than a third of the price. This charming and balanced whisky is aged for twelve years in ex-bourbon casks, and finished for two to four years in the Pedro Ximinez sherry casks. Its exclusive USA release is aimed at Dalmore’s continued U.S. market growth. Dalmore’s dedication to producing quality over quantity whisky, has elevated its status, to become the fifth top selling whisky in the United States. 

Gregg, who admittedly enjoys Clynelish whisky, outside of the Whyte & Mackay portfolio, was very transparent and proud when asked about Dalmore’s recent ABV increases. “We do what’s best for our flavor profile versus price point determination”, which is evident in the new 14 year old expression’s reasonable SRP of $89.99. The rear of the bottle’s neck features a cool mini QR Code, which links the consumer directly to Dalmore’s ‘Fury of the Stag’ story and collection information, at TheDalmore.com. 

During the special tasting presentation, it was incredible to sip the intense, sweet, and ‘sun-drenched’ sherry wine, which has 400 to 600 grams of sugar per liter, side by side with the whisky. This helped pinpoint the deep sherry elements in the whisky, an invaluable experience that transcends Dalmore’s quality boutique whisky, and royal heritage, to be… invaluable!

Acknowledgement

Thank you 5th Column Account Coordinator, Hailey Giordano, and Dalmore’s Whisky Specialist, Ben Boice, for the invite and exclusive Whiskey Network access to Gregg Glass.  

Thank you Gregg Glass for your time, signed Dalmore 14 bottle, Dalmore cigar holder, shared whisky knowledge, and this new Dalmore 14 masterpiece. Learn more about Gregg’s journey as a whisky maker, in this brief ‘Simply Whisky’ connoisseur’s interview.

"Whisky is liquid sunshine."

George Bernard Shaw

“The light music of whiskey falling into a glass – an agreeable interlude.”

James Joyce

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