Description
Dalmore Port Wood Reserve 700ml is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky from The Dalmore distillery, which sits on the shores of the Cromarty Firth near Alness in the northern Highlands. The spirit is matured in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, then finished in Tawny Port pipes from the Douro in Portugal, and bottled at 46.5% ABV without an age statement.
Buy Dalmore Port Wood Reserve Online in NZ
The Dalmore was founded in 1839, and its bottles carry the royal stag emblem of the Clan Mackenzie, the family who ran the distillery for generations. The house style is rich and rounded, with a long history of using fortified wine casks to add depth and fruit to the spirit.
The Port pipes used here come from W & J Graham’s, the Port house in Portugal that The Dalmore has worked with for many years. These large casks held aged Tawny Port before being filled with whisky, so they pass on red fruit, spice and colour during the finishing period. Because some pipes are repaired over time, a few end up with a mix of American and European oak staves.
The Dalmore’s long-serving master blender Richard Paterson chose to bottle Port Wood Reserve at 46.5%, a little stronger than the distillery’s usual bottling strength, to give the whisky extra weight and texture.
Pour it neat into a tulip glass and let it sit for a minute, then add a few drops of water if you want to bring the fruit forward. It pairs well with dark chocolate, a cheeseboard with aged cheddar or blue cheese, and berry desserts after dinner.
- Highland single malt from The Dalmore, Alness, Scotland
- American white oak, finished in Tawny Port pipes
- Bottled at 46.5% ABV
Expect red berries and Seville orange on the nose with a touch of spice. The palate brings caramel, red fruit and a little coffee and cinnamon, and the finish is long, warm and fruity, with the Port influence lingering through to the end.
The result is a whisky where the rich Dalmore spirit and the Port cask sit in balance, with neither overpowering the other.
A strong choice for single malt drinkers who enjoy fruit-led, cask-finished whisky, and a handsome gift for a whisky lover with a taste for Port.
