Haig Dimple 15 Year Old

Dimple (or "Pinch" as it is known in the US) is a very old, highly revered brand of blended scotch. Launched in 1890 with its distinctive packaging (which gives it its name, of course) by G.O. Haig, it really goes back to 1627 when his ancestor John Haig began distilling. The brand is currently owned by Diageo. Besides the "pinched" bottle shape, it also has a thin wire net around it, to absorb changes in temperature so the cork doesn't pop out. I had the great rare pleasure of tasting a Dimple bottling (NAS) from the 1950s at a Bonham's auction in NY - it was malty, savoury, leathery old-school scotch and it was amazing.

I don't know when this mini was bottled but it looks old, certainly older than the current bottling. Interestingly, the lettering on the back is in Hebrew (but the front is in English).

The colour is a deep gold. The nose is a little shy - some peppermint, a hint of smoke and barley sugar. A little rough around the edges. A wee bit of tropical fruits, especially banana - but it is all oh so quiet. Needs more character here. Water adds the slightest touch of maltiness but the nose is still very closed.

On the palate, quite malty with some light milk chocolate, papaya and a touch of spice. The age of the whisky comes through here - quite rich and complex. Barley sugar comes out with a drop of water. Very satisfying, especially after that quite nose.

The finish is brackish, with more pronounced peat and sea salt. Spicy and also herbal - long and very clean. Very interesting whisky, not what I was expecting - similar notes as the 1950s bottle but much quieter overall. It's really too bad about the nose, but perhaps some people fancy a whisky that is shy at first? I wish I had a current bottling to compare it with - in fact, I brought back a bottle for my father from my first trip to Scotland, as a birthday gift. A few weeks later, I came to visit and asked my dad for a dram, as I had always wanted to taste it. He sheepishly looked at me and said, "I drank it. All of it." So perhaps I'll never know...

Find where to buy Haig whisky