Dalmore Alexander the 3rd 40% NAS

Professionele reviews

Serge Valentin (84)

A blend of 1/3 Haut-Marbuzet wine casks (in case you don’t know, Haut-Marbuzet is a very good cru bourgeois from St. Estèphe), 1/3 sherry and 1/3 bourbon.
Colour: dark gold (yet exactly the same colour!)

Nose: starts like a blend of all younger versions, with both a ‘chocolaty maltiness’ and a fresh ‘oranginess’ (my god!) Also more wood... A little ginger, pink grapefruits, ripe kiwis, vanilla custard, figs... It’s also very slightly lactic. A tad less clean than ‘the others’ and that may come from the Bordeaux wine casks. Now, we like the generally citrusy profile.

Mouth: this is better, albeit a tad weakish again. You know, this ‘evanescent feeling of dissatisfaction’. It’s really a pity because the profile is rather perfect, more coherent and ‘mingled’ than on the nose. Oranges again, chocolate, cherries, blackcurrants, macadamia nuts, a little mint...

Finish: drier and spicier, in a very nice way. Excellent wood extracts. Winey aftertaste, like if you just had a bottle of... say, Haut-Marbuzet (yeah, that was easy.)

Comments: I don’t want to insist too much, but ‘this would certainly benefit from a few more percents of alcohol.’