Whisky Reviews

The Dalmore King Alexander III

Details

Distiller: The Dalmore

ABV: 40%

Age: No Age Statement

Paid: $15.00 for a pour

Tasting Notes

Color: Deep amber, definitely color added.

Pour: 40mL neat in a copita, rested 15 minutes

Nose: Musty, rain-soaked earth, like a dunnage warehouse after a storm. Rich blackberry pie with a doughy crust and tart berries. Rhubarb tart, raisins, stewed apples, and oranges. A hint of wood, like a freshly sharpened pencil. With time, caramelized brown sugar and banana appear, like in a bananas foster. A faint, distant hint of cigar smoke?

Taste: More earth, musty and dark But a bit thin. Notes of dried fig and Christmas fruit cake. Hints of sweet marzipan and dark chocolate with almonds and toffee. Fainter notes of cherry and blueberry develop alongside the same blackberry pie from the nose.

Finish: Light, but long! Lingers like a soft burn in the back of the mouth. More dark chocolate, spices, and nuts fade into notes of tart juicy berries.

Conclusion

My local liquor store was selling 100mL samples, and this one caught my eye. Retail price for this bottle in my area is easily $300, which is just ludicrous, but this sample was on the shelf for just $15! I figured this was a one-time deal, so here we are. Ok, on to the review!

The nose on this whisky is lovely, something about it kept me curious the entire time as if I was missing something just at the edge of my brain. Sadly though, the watery mouthfeel takes this down a notch in my book. The low proof mutes some of the powerful berry notes that could be incredible at even 46%. Richard Paterson has created a wonderful blend of flavors, it’s a shame the powers that be chose to water it down so much.

In the end, I decided that I hate this whisky. Ok I don’t hate it, it’s actually quite good, but it feels like it could be a stunner with a little higher ABV and no chill-filtration, and that makes it a frustrating dram. Each sip made me wish it was just a step better. It’s complex and flavorful as is, but I really think it could be more.

I want to note that I am not taking price into account in my score, but as mentioned before, this whisky is stupid expensive, and not worth the retail price. In a perfect world, The Dalmore would cut the price in half and up the ABV, but that is unlikely to say the least :) In the meantime, if you happen to see a good deal on a sample of this, be sure to give it a try!

Score: 7.5

Ratings Scale Explained

Average Score: 7.33 - Total Reviews: 9