Dailuaine 1973 (Berry’s Own)

41.8% abv

Score:  93/100

One night night long ago (Burns Night, 2013, to be exact) a mate and I sat down to a rather extravagant line-up of ’60s, ’70s and early ’80s malts.  Though there were a few brilliant drams in this midst, none quite measured up to this ’73 Dailuaine.  It was pretty much love at first sniff ‘twixt this whisky and I.

Dailuaine is a Speyside distillery, the output of which rarely finds its way into single malt release.  Most of the spirit from this Diageo brand ends up in Johnnie Walker blends.

In a ridiculously odd nod to the fates…

The night I sat down to sample this one (and subsequently had it charm the pants off me) I immediately texted Andrew Ferguson at the Kensington Wine Market, who had shared this sample with me so many months prior, to see if there was any of this malt still available on the shelves and to ask him to put aside a bottle for me.  Sadly…just sold out.  That very night.  Coincidental, yes, but here’s where it gets really weird…

A few minutes later I got a text from another friend of mine, who just so happened to be in at KWM that very eve and grabbed the second-to-last bottle of this stuff off the shelf.  A gent there reached in behind him to scoop the very last bottle.  Sonuva…!

Lesson learned.  Be a little quicker on the take.  Should have tried this sample when it first came my way.  In the meantime…every few days I text this mate of mine and ask him if he’s ready to relinquish his hold on this bottle.  It will be mine.  Oh yes…it will be mine

Nose:  Sweet soft-skinned white fruit.  White chocolate.  Peach and cherry.  Vanilla ice cream.  Very mild cinnamon.  Toasted bread.  Some tropical fruit juice.  Comfortable, like gramma’s homemade baking.

Palate:  Grains, oak and soft rising cinnamon bun dough.  Peach and more fruit.  Bold vanilla bean.  Coffee note comes through on development.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt