The Dalmore has added a new permanent expression to an already expansive core range in the form of a 17-year-old aged in a mixture of rare sherry casks.
It is the tenth whisky in The Dalmore’s Principal Collection, which currently consists of recognizable age statements (12, 15, 18, and 21) and several non-age statements. All, as per The Dalmore’s tradition, are aged in sherry casks, so how does this new product differentiate itself?
The Dalmore Aged 17 Years begins its life in ex-bourbon barrels before it is finished in a trio of lesser-used sherry casks: Amoroso, Apostoles, and Matusalem Oloroso. Each one brings a different dimension to the whisky, resulting in a complex balance of sweet and savory notes.
None of this will be particularly surprising to Dalmore drinkers. They are used to rich, sherried whiskies that have been through a long and winding maturation journey. So why would someone choose this over the 18 Year Old, which is also aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in Matusalem Oloroso sherry casks?
The answer will likely come down to the price. At £175 / $250, this new expression is almost half the price of its ever-so-slightly older sibling (£315 / $400) despite a similar cask maturation and ABV (42% for the 17, 43% of the 18). We haven’t compared the liquids side by side, so we cannot speak to the differences in flavor, but for a consumer comparing the two labels, it is difficult to justify the 18-year-old’s extra cost.
On that evidence alone, one might suggest The Dalmore 17 Year Old is designed to build better value into the core range, without having to lower the prices of existing products. Lower prices would be one of the easiest ways to reverse single malt whisky’s worrying decline in consumption, but discounts are hard for any brand to swallow, particularly a luxury brand like The Dalmore.
It’s worth comparing it to the recent Macallan 12 Year Old 110 Proof, which offered a superior drinking experience to its Classic Cut at a similar price point. A month after the 110 Proof’s release, The Macallan discontinued Classic Cut. The Dalmore is unlikely to follow in those footsteps – an 18-year-old whisky is key to any brand’s core portfolio – but the sentiment is the same.
Regardless of The Dalmore’s business plan, this is, put simply, good news for the people who enjoy drinking high-quality Scotch whisky: same quality, similar age, much better value.
