Dalmore 12 Year Old

The Dalmore 12 is the bottle that shows you what this Highland distillery is about before you spend more. Matured first in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, then split for a finishing period in 30-year-old Matusalem oloroso sherry butts from Gonzalez Byass, it carries the house signature in miniature: a marriage of soft vanilla and dried-fruit depth, bottled at 40%.

The nose leads with orange marmalade and a little chocolate, backed by aromatic spice and a thread of malt. On the palate the sherry does its work without taking over - dried fruit, a touch of coffee, citrus zest and a gentle sweetness that keeps things rounded rather than heavy. The finish is medium, warming, with that signature Dalmore orange lingering alongside soft oak.

For an entry-level single malt this drinks with more polish than its age might suggest, and the double maturation gives it a fullness that lighter Highland malts lack. It rewards anyone moving on from blends and looking for sherry character without the price climb of older bottlings.

How to Serve

Neat in a copita or Glencairn first, to read the sherry against the bourbon-cask vanilla. A few drops of water open the marmalade note nicely. It also makes a generous, fruit-forward base for an Old Fashioned if you want one.

Where to Drink It

You will find Dalmore poured at the Connaught Bar in Mayfair, at Boisdale of Belgravia, and across the malt list at Black Rock in Shoreditch.

Food Pairings

The orange-and-sherry character loves rich, savoury food. Orange-glazed duck is the natural match, though a wedge of aged Gouda or a plate of cured meats works just as well.