Dalmore 18 Year Old 2024 Release

The Dalmore 18 is where the distillery's sherry obsession really shows its hand. Made at Alness on the Cromarty Firth, this Highland single malt spends its first years in American white oak, then a long spell — around fourteen years — in Matusalem oloroso sherry casks from González Byass. The 2024 release keeps to that same recipe.

Dalmore has always leaned rich and regal, right down to the stag's head on the bottle. Tall stills and that generous sherry maturation give a spirit with real weight and a dark, glossy colour that owes nothing to additives here — it's the casks talking.

Expect Christmas cake and orange marmalade first, then dark chocolate, coffee, a little cinnamon and a resiny thread of aged oak. At 43% it's plush but not heavy. A drop of water softens the spice and brings the citrus forward. The finish is long and warming, with more of that bittersweet chocolate-and-orange character Dalmore does so well.

A special-occasion Highland malt that wears its age with confidence.

How to Serve

Neat in a tulip glass. Rich enough to take a small splash of water if you like, but skip the ice — the cold flattens the sherry notes.

Where to Drink It

Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood, all velvet and firelight. The American Bar at The Savoy for a bit of glamour. Boisdale of Canary Wharf for a serious list and a cigar terrace.

Food Pairings

A malt with this much weight wants something equally serious. Roast venison or grouse suits it, as does a plate of aged cheese and cured meat, with a single square of dark chocolate at the very close if you must.