So Dalmunch? I bet many of you have not heard about this distillery named for the nearby pool in the River Spey. But Dalmunach is one of Scotland’s newest and most contemporary distilleries. Built by owner Pernod Ricard (Chivas Brothers) in 2014, it occupies the former site of the Imperial Distillery which was demolished in 2013.
The distillery itself is quite lovely in design and has 16 stainless steel washbacks, and eight stills arranged untraditionally in a circle…
The inaugural bottling in the Mythical creatures series is also the first Dalmunach single malt to receive a general release. This vibrant whisky reveals a distillery character rich in orchard and stone fruits with red apple and apricot on the nose and a rich palate of marzipan, hazelnuts and baking spices.
The wulver is a mysterious figure said to fish along the shorelands of the Shetland Isles. Though fearsome in appearance, there are reports of the creature sharing its catch with islanders in times of need. The label depicts the benevolent wulver seated by the Dalmunach pond, from which this great distillery takes its name.
Dalmunach 6 yo ‘Wulver’ 60%, for TWE 2022 , £59.95
Nose: Quite light and fruity with bright apples, pears, hints of white grapes, some vanilla pods and freshly baked scones, and more sweet pastries with a hint of citrus. fresh, and fruity.
Palate: Quite harsh at 60%, its young age is well felt, and surely it will benefit quite nicely from a few drops of water, then the fruit comes out, and the pear and red sweet apples, with the citrus fruit on the edges becomes more evident. quite sweet with a wee bitterness in the middle, nutty and honeyed at times with a peppery tang, and maybe a hint of milk chocolate towards the end.
Finish: bitter chocolate, nuts, and more citrus fruit, and pepper.
Conclusion: A fresh and young whisky for sure, I would have chosen to bottle it at a lower ABV than 60%… feels over the top at least for me. Frankly, I am a bit underwhelmed with this Dalmuncah. Maybe a few more years in the cask would have made it a bit more rounded and a bit more complex.
Score: 81/100
Available on the TWE site