It's taken a while, but I wanted to be as thorough as my pocketbook would allow. I ultimately went through 11 samples:
Dalmore Cigar Malt, Dalmore 15, Dalmore 18, Highland Park 18, Auchentoshen 3 wood, Glenmorangie 10, Glengoyane 18, Glendronach 18 Allardice, Balvenie Double Wood 17, Balvenie Single Barrel 15 and the Ardbeg Uigeadail.
It was an interesting process, first comparing one against the other (i.e. I like this one better than that one). After a while I started to lose track and had to go back for another sip (it's a tough job, but someone has to do it
). A sample bottle is about 2/3 of a shot, so there wasn't that much to go around. I must tell you that none of them were terrible. Even in the time I sampled these 11 my palate was getting an education and during the process a friend brought over a bottle of Glenfiddich 12 and I found a bottle of Johnny Walker Red hiding in my closet, that made 13!
I think I covered a lot of ground, although I know there's a very big world out there. I know I should have taken notes to keep track, but I didn't. Anyway, I finally narrowed the field down to 2: The Highland Park 18 and the Dalmore 18. I also really like the Glenmorangie 10 so there's definitely a disconnect with price there. The Glenmorangie is about $35, while the other two are over $100. Of course they would wind up being at the top of my list right? You get what you pay for (most of the time).
And the winner is..............The Dalmore 18. It's just about dead on for my palate and my nose. The bouquet is delicate, but definite. It smells like oranges with a hint of chocolate and....aww never mind, it smell delicious! On the palate it starts out by lighting up my taste buds with fruity spices, hints of cinnamon, honey and toffee. Then it starts to smooth out and settle in for a finish that has a malty flavor with a touch of peat (just enough for me at this point), while the spices start to recede, hang around for a nice complex, slow end.
It's my birthday in a couple of days and guess what I'm getting for my birthday.