Batch 53

Very light smoke with some blood orange elements – a candidate for a Blood and Sand, perhaps? Then comes hazelnut shells roasting next to a tamped-down peat fire. Some light minerality and subtle weight. Things become more oxidised with water, slighty nutty and creamy with a puff of woodsmoke.

Considerably more salinity than the nose suggests, bringing to mind damp crab creels and steamed hake in a cream sauce. A touch of burnt cereal dries things, but it is the general softness which is key here, as it provides excellent balance to the malt and smoke.

A little hard to start, then smoky.

Balanced and harmonious. Well worth a look.  

A glass of white Burgundy on a yacht. 

A scented vetiver/chypre/oakmoss/dry grass aroma, with added spruce and larch, behind which is sweet pear and hand cream. Lovely and also enigmatic, because the aromatics aren’t conventional. It seems to narrow in time and become more focused, with just sufficient softness from the cask.

Good feel, with all of the aromatics seen on the nose coming through in a gentle, leisurely fashion along with quite zippy acidity. A pretty cool customer that adds in ice-cold Muscat grapes and pear eaux-de-vies. It manages to be both vaporous and also clinging. Water ups the aromatics and brings out a tiny touch of smoke.

Delicate and soft.

Hugely and pleasingly aromatic, and showing a quite different facet of Dailuaine. Recommended.

The sillage left by a mysterious woman on a Parisian side street – a hint of danger lingers, along with a drift of smoke from her cigarette.

Very fat and creamy with a fair whack of big cask influence: Caramac bars and Werther’s Original, then pear and that slightly hazy blue fruit that’s typical of the distillery. Water introduces pie crust, cherry pie and rhubarb tart dusted with Demerara sugar. 

This has a good, mature feel and even though the nose remains relatively light, there’s a hint of oiliness as the fruits begin their slow decay. A slight grassiness also now develops. Initially water seems to coat the tongue in the oils, but soon things perk up into a greener and more grassy world. 

Lightly powdery. 

An excellent lunchtime dram. Have it with water on the side. 

Waiting patiently in the garden for the fruit pies to cool on the windowsill. 

A slightly weird nose that has this funky, oxidised, nutty element, plus some turnips, pepper and chicken stock. All of this lifts off in time, but there’s a meaty weight to this akin to browning lamb, then biscuit tin and baked fruits. Old style.

More controlled, although the meaty/spicy thing continues, giving things a touch of warm Scotch pie (which is no bad thing in my book). There is also an ester-like and lightly floral element adding lift. It remains thick on the tongue when diluted, with extra Brazil nut and fruit.

Long and rich. 

I like the feel and the delivery. It has real, old-fashioned boldness.

A liquid Burns Supper.

Has what is now the standard vatted peaty dram aroma – assertive and, indeed, smoky. There is also a cooling pan-drop/peppermint element alongside grapefruit skin, sweet seaweed and a chalky element. Oyster fresh. Water brings out pine sap.

The sweetness in the centre is cleverly handled and adds a softening element to what would otherwise be a fairly flinty dram (too often the problem when you dial up the smoke). A touch of just-fired gun, fir tree and then a peat fire on the beach.

Wild sorrel and sashimi.

A balanced and vibrant vatted malt. Have it as a Highball. 

Clay pigeon shooting at the Gearach. The scent of the ocean mingling with the forest. 

This manages to be both slightly sweet and nutty at the same time, with some dried rose petal and Turkish Delight. It has an intriguing and complex mix between this aromatic part, concentrated fruits, slight dustiness, Kola Kubes and Brandy de Jerez notes. Water accentuates the resinous elements.

While there are light, almost biscuity tannins, things remain concentrated with smears of oil paint, varnish, then a mix of dried fruits and incense. The addition of water softens the tannins and brings out more of a nutty element, but does lessen the impact. Personally, I’d go neat.

Long, with sweet dried fruits.

Complex and balanced – and at a fantastic price. You can also buy direct.

That whiff of oil paint brought this marvellous tune by Found to mind. Thanks, Zigs!