Exclusive Malts Dailuaine 10 Year Old Scotch Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B

Exclusive Malts is a line of sourced single malts selected and bottled by David Stirk’s Creative Whisky Co., and if you see an example in the United States, it was imported by ImPex Beverages. In this instance, the bottling is of a Dailuaine that was distilled in 2007 and aged for 10 years in a refill Port hogshead, and then left at a cask strength of 58.4% ABV.

Dailuaine’s origins date to a farm distillery started in the 1850s. This Speyside distillery’s history since then is a familiar one, with many changes of hands, twists and turns, ultimately leading to the property being acquired by United Distillers in 1987 and following that company into the merger that created Diageo.

The Scotch
This cask strength Dailuiane has the look of apple juice in the glass, and it’s a viscous liquid that puts a thick coat on the glass, beading and dropping tears only with the greatest reluctance. The nose, while not hot, was a tad overpowering. I reckoned that to get the best out of this malt, it would need some water, so I gave it a splash. From there, it has a scent that was like raisin bread with a generous helping of rum, along with a heavy toffee note and a vein of earthiness.

On the palate, this is a big-bodied whisky with an oily texture. The booze-soaked raisins and other dried fruits character meets up with cloves and allspice, and a dollop of really thick honey. The finish sees the honey fade into dry wood and white pepper as the warmth rises up.

The Price
Online retailers have this item listed for about $110.