Following on from their Dee Dram bottling last year, they have released a further three drops of drammage to help aid in the conservation and preservation of the Spey, Tay and Tweed rivers.
Recently I was fortunate enough to be able to sample the whole collection, but to be honest I was slightly disappointed by its overall quality.
A couple of the whiskies were too eager to please and struggled to even cast the faintest of shadows on the armoury might of Dalmore's dramming back catalogue.
That being said, there was one 'stand out of the crowd' dram that confidently and couragiously punched above its dramming weight, and that my friends was the Tay Dram.
The nose kicks off with wallowing whiffs of a just opened jar of freeze dried instant coffee, followed by the devilishly delicious aromas of chocolate covered pears and a broken slab of deep dark butterscotch tablet.
An infused swirlette of Oloroso sherry, a tin of Del Monte sliced peaches and a segmented Seville orange make for the next set of sensations, along with a warm homely slice of malted fruit loaf.
A subtle glugette of peppered honey then makes a much welcomed and purposeful appearance, followed by a balanced brigade of toasted treats in the form of cinnamon, nutmeg and some youthful oak.
The palate which is fairly smooth and restrained, does its utmost to replicate all the enticing and engaging elements that were picked up on the nose.
All the wonders contained within a Nestle Coffee Walnut Whip, kick off the palatable proceedings, followed sharply by another slice of the aforementioned malted fruit loaf, which this time round is particularly moorish.
Things then go a bit conserve crazy with the arrival of a big spoonsful of Tiptree Orange and Lime marmalade, and a kilner jar full of warm homemade apricot and lemon jam.
A toasted infusion of oak, winter spices and a whisp of ground white pepper, make for the next set of sensations, along with a subtle kiss of vanilla and an even subtler smooch of those bourbon cask influences.
It’s not exactly one of the most quintessential Dalmore's ever to be released, but all the same it’s a very pleasantly balanced robust-ette, that delivers a smooth longish citrus zing of a finish.
