The Dalmore, located on the banks of the River Cromarty Firth in the Highlands of Scotland, is now managed by Whyte & Mackay Ltd and is one of the most competitive Scottish Dalmore brands in the world.
Dalmore's history dates back to 1263, when an ancestor of Clan Mackenzie saved King Alexander III of Scotland from a stag attack. In return, the king granted Clan Mackenzie the right to use the image of the Royal Twelve-Armed Stag on their coat of arms. In 1839, Alexander Matheson established the Dalmore Distillery. Since its inception, the Dalmore Distillery has stood on the banks of the Firth of Cromerty. In 1867, descendants of Clan Mackenzie took over the distillery and applied the Royal Stag's head emblem to Dalmore whisky bottles. This emblem, still in use today, not only symbolizes the rich history of the Dalmore Distillery but also reflects its unwavering commitment to crafting top-quality single malt whisky.
Dalmore has adhered to its over 150-year-old tradition, regarding oak casks as sacred and therefore selecting only meticulously crafted, special oak barrels. These casks not only come from the world's finest cellars and distilleries but must also be personally chosen by their Master Distiller, Richard Paterson. A pioneer in the art of cask management, Paterson dedicated over 50 years at Dalmore to pushing the boundaries of whisky production and cask management. His expertise made a significant contribution to establishing Dalmore's standards for single malt whisky production, standards that have been followed by many other whisky makers.
Dalmore has a partnership with the Gonzalez Byass Group (one of Spain's most renowned sherry groups) spanning over 100 years, and the unique style of Dalmore whisky is closely linked to this group. Dalmore whisky's signature characteristics, such as aromas of chocolate and orange, are attributed to extremely rare Gonzalez Byass casks, some of which have been used to store 30-year-old Matusalem Oloroso Sherry. In addition, Dalmore uses other premium casks to add further complexity to their single malt whiskies.
Dalmore 15 Year Old is smooth, rich, and well-rounded; it's the epitome of Dalmore's fundamental style. This elegant yet approachable whisky was initially matured for 12 years in American oak barrels. The following three years were spent aging the whisky separately in three different sherry oak barrels: Amoroso, Apostoles, and Matusalem Oloroso, to achieve its perfect character and essence. Finally, the whiskies were blended together and aged in upright sherry barrels to further refine its flavor.