Review 144: Dailuaine 1983-2012 Archives

This is the second-to-last Archives bottling I have to review for a while. I must say that I've been impressed by the quality, not to mention prices, offered by this bottler. Worth looking into! Anyway, today's review is of a 28 year old Dailuaine from 1983. It was bottled in hogshead 865, which looks like it was made up of ex-bourbon staves. Dailuaine is another malt that I don't encounter too frequently. I'm not sure how much it's been marketed by owner Diageo as a single malt outside of the Flora and Fauna range. No other original bottlings come to mind. Although most of the output from this distillery seems to go into the Johnnie Walker blends, some escapes to bottlers like Archives. Yay!

Dailuaine 1983-2012 Archives

Color: Amber -2

ABV: 47.3%

Aroma Neat:
Lemon Pith (some zest), Woody Vanilla, Confectioner's Sugar, Dried Malt/Grist, Honey Graham Crackers, White Grapefruit (pith, again), Lightly Toasted Oak, Flat Mineral Water, Corrugated Cardboard, Apple Juice.

I think JW Gold Label 18 must lean heavily on Dailuaine, because there is a lot of similarity here. This whisky is fruitier and more pristine than the JW, though. The fruit that's strikes me as mildly tart and citrusy. Pleasurable and easygoing, though perhaps a bit simple overall.

Aroma Water:
Light Honey, Vanilla, Powdered Sugar/Homemade Marshmallows, Toasted/Sanded Oak (with dust!), Wet Rocks/Minerality, White Grapefruit (not very bitter), Lemon Custard (more custard), Malt Flour, Mixed Berries (very vaguely).

Sweeter and a bit more open than neat. It's more characterful now, a definite improvement. Dusty in a fresh, surprising way.

Taste Neat:
Tannic Old Oak, Dark Orange Blossom Honey, Roasty Barrel Char, Wax (paraffin, bee's), Mineral Water, Vanilla/Cola (more vanilla).

Much woodier than indicated by the nose. Not terribly woody, though it seemed so at first after the nose. The other flavors are more shy, but there is a very tame underlying sweetness which is nice.

Taste Water:
Vanilla, Toasted Oak, Vanilla, Marshmallow (slightly), Metallic/Mineralic Note, Wax, Sweet Barrel Char, Banana, Honeydew Melon.

Like the nose, the palate really opens up with water and makes this a more interesting malt.

Finish:
Fresh Honeycomb/Beeswax, Thin Vanilla, Dry Wood, Mildly Bitter Pithy Grapefruit/Barley.

Gentle and pleasing. A pretty clean style, this. Medium Duration.

Conclusion:
Initially shy nose opens well into a mildly sweet, understated malt.

Good balance of wood and spirit on the tongue, again understated. Shy, but tasty fruit is present too.

Honeyed finish with a refreshing, slight bitterness on the end.

Rating: 84/100

What a great sipping malt! Gentle and refreshing - a perfectly polite aperitif. Unfortunately, at 85 euros a bottle, it's a little pricey for just casual sipping. Still, I wish I had more than just a sample!

Josh