The Dalmore 15 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 70cl

The Dalmore 15 Year Old is a rich, sherry-influenced expression from The Dalmore distillery on the shores of the Cromarty Firth in the Scottish Highlands, home to the distinctive twelve-point stag emblem that has adorned its bottles since 1839. This single malt begins its life maturing in American white oak, before finishing in rare Matusalem oloroso sherry butts sourced from Gonzalez Byass in Jerez, Spain — casks that previously held a 30-year-old oloroso sherry.

That Spanish oak works its magic to give the whisky real depth and complexity. The nose is soft and approachable, offering dried fruit, hazelnuts and a touch of dry spice. On the palate, rich Christmas-cake flavours of raisins, currants and cherries unfold alongside warming cinnamon and nutmeg, with background notes of coffee bean and dark chocolate from the sherry casks. The finish is long, sweet and raisiny, lingering pleasantly on the palate.

Bottled at 40% ABV and presented in Dalmore's elegant decanter-style bottle with its silver stag crest, the 15 Year Old is a fitting introduction to the distillery's celebrated sherry-cask house style — a superb sipping whisky and a genuinely special gift for any Highland malt enthusiast.