Dalwhinnie, the highest distillery in Scotland stands in an area steeped in history. The place name itself means 'meeting place', where cattle drovers and smugglers met on their way to markets in the south. It is often referred to as 'The Gentle Spirit' The distillery was originally named Strathspey when it was established during the whisky boom of the late 1890s by two men from Kingussie. They chose the site for its access to a supply of clear spring water from Lochan-Doire-Uaine, above the snow line, and abundant peat from the surrounding moors. The Dalwhinnie Distillery The business was not a great success, however, and in 1905 Dalwhinnie was sold to the largest distilling company in America, Cook & Bernheimer. This gave rise to a great concern within the whisky industry in Scotland, which feared that the Americans might attempt to take over the market. Worries were dispelled by the introduction of prohibition in 1922.
Color: yellow gold;
Nose: fruity, aromatic;
Body: round and full;
Palate: begins with a light taste, clean and mellow, building to a smooth Highland glow - a balanced medley of malty sweetness, fruit and oak, with distant whiffs of smoke
Finish: smooth, silky and heather honey.
Recommendations 'A surprisingly soft whisky with good aromas and a lovely fruity-malty taste from Scotland's highest, most remote distillery.' Roger Voss, Discover Life Now, April 1996 'My own personal choice would be the straw-gold honey-like 16-year-old Dalwhinnie.' Phillippe Boucheron, Gloucestershire Echo, 30 January 1996. |
