Dailuaine 2008 / 16 Year Old / Single Malts of Scotland Small Batch Speyside Whisky

Finn OBrien — Proper cask strength Speyside

8/10

This packs a serious punch at 56.7% but don't let that scare you off. After 16 years it's got this lovely honey and stewed orchard fruit thing going on, with a whiff of beeswax on the nose. Added a few drops of water and it really opened up — dried apricot and a gentle spice on the finish. At just under a hundred quid for an independent bottling of this age, I think it's fair value.

Sibel Nur — Proper cask strength Speyside

8/10

This packs a serious punch at 56.7% but don't let that scare you off. After 16 years it's got this lovely honey and stewed orchard fruit thing going on, with a whiff of beeswax on the nose. Added a few drops of water and it really opened up — dried apricot and a gentle spice on the finish. At just under a hundred quid for an independent bottling of this age, I think it's fair value.

Daniel Oyama — Proper cask strength Speyside

8/10

This packs a serious punch at 56.7% but don't let that scare you off. After 16 years it's got this lovely honey and stewed orchard fruit thing going on, with a whiff of beeswax on the nose. Added a few drops of water and it really opened up — dried apricot and a gentle spice on the finish. At just under a hundred quid for an independent bottling of this age, I think it's fair value.

Yuki Nakamura — Interesting sipper, needs patience

7/10

Poured this neat and the alcohol hit was fierce — 56.7% is no joke and straight out the bottle it was all ethanol and raw oak. Once I let it sit for about 20 minutes and added a splash of water it calmed right down into toasted nuts, vanilla, and a hint of green apple. Decent whisky that rewards patience but I wouldn't call it an instant crowd-pleaser at this price point.

Marcus Blackwell — Interesting sipper, needs patience

7/10

Poured this neat and the alcohol hit was fierce — 56.7% is no joke and straight out the bottle it was all ethanol and raw oak. Once I let it sit for about 20 minutes and added a splash of water it calmed right down into toasted nuts, vanilla, and a hint of green apple. Decent whisky that rewards patience but I wouldn't call it an instant crowd-pleaser at this price point.

Ravi Krishnan — Interesting sipper, needs patience

7/10

Poured this neat and the alcohol hit was fierce — 56.7% is no joke and straight out the bottle it was all ethanol and raw oak. Once I let it sit for about 20 minutes and added a splash of water it calmed right down into toasted nuts, vanilla, and a hint of green apple. Decent whisky that rewards patience but I wouldn't call it an instant crowd-pleaser at this price point.

Petra Novak — Solid but not spectacular

7/10

Dailuaine is one of those distilleries most folk only know from blends, so I was curious to try it as a single malt. Neat, there's malty cereal sweetness and a bit of waxy citrus peel, but the finish fades quicker than I'd like for a 16 year old. It's a perfectly good dram but at nearly £97 I expected it to linger a bit longer.

Omar Diallo — Solid but not spectacular

7/10

Dailuaine is one of those distilleries most folk only know from blends, so I was curious to try it as a single malt. Neat, there's malty cereal sweetness and a bit of waxy citrus peel, but the finish fades quicker than I'd like for a 16 year old. It's a perfectly good dram but at nearly £97 I expected it to linger a bit longer.

Ingrid Holm — Solid but not spectacular

7/10

Dailuaine is one of those distilleries most folk only know from blends, so I was curious to try it as a single malt. Neat, there's malty cereal sweetness and a bit of waxy citrus peel, but the finish fades quicker than I'd like for a 16 year old. It's a perfectly good dram but at nearly £97 I expected it to linger a bit longer.

Felix Moreau — Hidden gem from a workhorse distillery

9/10

I grabbed this on a whim because I'd never tried Dailuaine as a standalone and wow, what a find. Rich toffee and dried fig on the nose, then this gorgeous wave of dark chocolate and gentle oak spice when you sip it. The cask strength really lets you dial it in with water to your own sweet spot. One of my favourite indie bottlings this year honestly.

Adaobi Eze — Hidden gem from a workhorse distillery

9/10

I grabbed this on a whim because I'd never tried Dailuaine as a standalone and wow, what a find. Rich toffee and dried fig on the nose, then this gorgeous wave of dark chocolate and gentle oak spice when you sip it. The cask strength really lets you dial it in with water to your own sweet spot. One of my favourite indie bottlings this year honestly.

Haruki Sato — Hidden gem from a workhorse distillery

9/10

I grabbed this on a whim because I'd never tried Dailuaine as a standalone and wow, what a find. Rich toffee and dried fig on the nose, then this gorgeous wave of dark chocolate and gentle oak spice when you sip it. The cask strength really lets you dial it in with water to your own sweet spot. One of my favourite indie bottlings this year honestly.