Dailuaine 17 Year Old 1997 Signatory Vintage for The Bonding Dram

Dailuaine is one of those whiskies that you do not come accross every day. Only 2% is bottled as single malt, while the rest disappears in the blends from Diago, who owns the distillery. The online shop The Bonding Dram found a cask in the Signatory, Pitlochry, warehouses. Signatory has already bottled quite a few casks in the 71XX-series, but most of those in their Un-Chillfiltered Collection. The Bonding Dram, however, prefers cask strength, so this one comes in that beautiful decanter. He shared the cask with Maison Baelen, De Cluysenaer and Toby Bins. Let us get to it!

The nose is wonderfully sweet on candy sugar and fruit like peach, oranges and a slice of lemon. It offers a little grass and maybe even some buttercups. Heath bush! Something that reminds me of bubblegum, but not disturbing in the least. Hint of cinnamon and a pinch of camphor. Nice, complexe nose that makes my mouth water. With a teaspoon of water it is less sweet, but more ‘green’. However: suddenly I get some nougat! Nice.

It arrives quite powerfully on the palate. Great body. Very spicy now (white pepper, ginger and some liquorice). The fruit is now mostly citrus: lime and white grapefruit. The buttercups return. Lemongrass? Granny Smith apples and some green tea towards the end. Nicely warming. Diluted it is dangerously quaffable.

The finish is very long, warm, spicy and ‘green’, if you know what I mean.

Great Dailuaine. Ideal dessert whisky or Father’s Day present. Swims like a champ. Available for 85 EUR. Recommened. I fear my bottle will not last long…

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