Dalwhinnie 25 Years is part of the 2015 Diageo Special Releases. This little 1 wash and 1 spirit still distillery is located in the western Highlands in the Strathspey region where it has been pumping out whisky since 1898 when it went by the name Strathspey. The name was changed to Dalwhinnie when it was bought by the Dalwhinnie Distillery Co. only a few years after it had opened.
Dalwhinnie, to me, is an an interesting distillery to include in this lineup because while it is part of Diageo’s “Classic Malts” it’s not exactly well regarded as being a particularly interesting or complex whisky. It’s often been referred to as a single malt that drinks like a blend because it’s so “smooth” and lack luster. A “meh” quality that, as you’ll see in the Dalwhinnie 25 Years review, follows through even in the high-end “Special Release” realm.
Dalwhinnie 25 Years Info
Region: Highland, Scotland
Distiller: Dalwhinnie
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: Hogshead
Age: 25 Years
ABV: 48.8%
Bottles: 5,916
Price: $475
Dalwhinnie 25 Years Review
EYE
Straw
NOSE
Weak malt, fruit, strawberry Necco, oxidized chocolate (liked after melting and putting in the fridge) and cantaloupe skin with a light floral touch and a bit of wood that’s reminiscent of a box of tooth picks. Light and just sort of… “meh”.
PALATE
Fruit, malt, spice and dried fruit with that same light floral touch and tooth-pick-like wood. The nose is a bit more complex than the palate where the whisky seems to flatline.
FINISH
Short and watery with light notes of malt, fruit and a bit of earth.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Ok balance, medium body and light watery feel.
OVERALL
Dalwhinnie 25 Years is uninteresting, but not offensive. I flirted with giving it a C, but really there should be some major flaws before it hits that realm. Here its biggest offense is just being weak and lack luster. While it is one of the more attainable of the 2015 Diageo Special Releases it’s nowhere worth its $475 price tag. Dalwhinnie 25 Years is in no way, shape or form worth its asking price. I can make business cards that say I’m a doctor, but it doesn’t mean I am and just because it’s labeled as Special doesn’t mean that it is.
For comparison, my previous experiences with the Dalwhinnie 15 would be pegged in the C range as it’s even more “blah” than the Dalwhinnie 25 Years, but not by too much. This similarity between the two means you could save yourself $410 by picking up the 15 yr and be rewarded with a similar drinking experience. Which brings us to the question of value for this “special” whisky. Is every additional year in the cask from 15 – 25 worth a price increase of $41? Me thinks not.
SCORE: 77-79/100 (C+, consumed at a tasting)
