Cadenhead's Dailuaine 13yo...

Cadenhead's Dailuaine 13yo (57.7%): After I enjoyed yesterday's Tomatin quite a lot I wanted to go ahead and uncork the other Authentic Collection bottle from Cadenhead's sitting on my desk sealed for more than a year. It is also bottled from a single cask but this time distilled on Dailuaine distillery in 2004 and then bottled in 2017. In spite of not being a commonly known name for larger audience Dailuaine is actually a pretty sizable Speyside distillery pumping 5.2m liters of alcohol every year for Diageo's various blending needs. It is also one of John Glaser's favorite malts when it comes to find a cheaper alternative to Clynelish in more budget conscious Compass Box expressions. The whisky in the bottle was aged in an ex-Bourbon hogshead for 13 years which yielded 288 bottles at cask strength.

Color: Pale yellow chiffon, Pinot Grigio color with fast but thick legs.

Nose: Light char, toasted bread with butter spread slowly melting on it and dry malt. Lemon cookies and beeswax. Soap bar and sun-burnt yellow grass. A few drops of water add light citrusy and dry earthy aromas. Much balanced and less aggressive now: Lemon peel, blood oranges, candle wax and dry gardening soil.

Palate: Creamy and thick texture with underripe bananas, vanilla and soap bar. I'll add water and walk away a little bit like I did yesterday... After a few minutes the whisky improves immensely. Even the mouthfeel is better now: Panna Cotta, lemon custard and raw honey. Beeswax lip balm, more bananas and cookie dough. White peaches and lightly roasted sesame seeds. The more it airs the better it gets. Loving it...

Finish: Long with sweet dairy notes, egg custard and more wax.

Overall: Amazing how it changed both on the nose and on the palate after adding a few drops of water and letting it sit for a while. All the slightly soapy notes transformed to beautiful waxy ones... Now I understand why blenders are in love with this whisky and why it is called often "poor man's Clynelish..." (... insert sarcastic coughing fit here). I should find more whiskies distilled in this distillery. An incredibly distillate forward but textured and flavorful whisky with a fantastic price/value ratio...

Price: £50

90/100

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