6
Expressions
6
With Tasting Notes
100%
Completeness
About
Scotland's highest distillery at 326 metres (1,073 feet) above sea level, sitting at the head of the Drumochter Pass in the Cairngorms. One of the coldest spots in Scotland, which directly influences the whisky's gentle, honeyed character through slow condensation in the traditional worm tubs. The Highland representative in Diageo's Classic Malts series. The name means 'meeting place' in Gaelic. The 15 Year Old is a classic gentle, heather-honey Highland malt.
Production Details
Owner
Diageo
Parent Company
Diageo
Status
Active
Founded
1897
Still Type
Pot
Stills
2
Capacity
2.2M LPA
Water Source
Lochan an Doire-uaine
Core Range2
Dalwhinnie 15 Year OldCore
1543% ABV$70-90
Ex-bourbon American oak casks
4/4 Tasting
View tasting notes
Sight
Light gold with a warm honey tint; medium body, clean and bright
Smell
Aromatic toffee and fruit salad with lush nectarine and custard. Floral apple blossom and honeysuckle, apple peels, pear, and a gentle touch of smoke. One of the most approachable Highland noses
Sip
Malty with walnuts steeped in manuka honey and vanilla sponge. Gentle smoke weaves through the cereal character with a touch of warming spice. Creamy-smooth and coating, flowing lightly over the tongue
Savor
Long, attractively sweet and malty yet clean, with plenty of white pepper spiciness. Vanilla-rich oak spice lingers in a drying, elegant aftertaste. Walnut and almond echo
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Sweet Shop: honey, toffee, custard; Greengrocer: Orchard (apple, pear, nectarine); Garden Path: honeysuckle, apple blossom; Bakery: malt, vanilla sponge; Natural Foods: Spices (white pepper); Library: smoke (gentle); Furniture Maker: Wood (oak, vanilla)
Dalwhinnie Winter's GoldCore
NAS43% ABV2015$45-60
Ex-bourbon American oak casks; designed to be served from the freezer
4/4 Tasting
View tasting notes
Sight
Pale gold, almost straw-coloured; light-medium body. Designed to maintain flavour profile when served ice-cold
Smell
Fresh and fruity with peaches, honey, and oranges, hints of vanilla and mint. Faintly waxy with green apples, unripe pears, and gooseberries on a light heathery base
Sip
Light and fresh with grassiness, nuttiness, bread-like malt, pears, and citrus. Pepper and oak spices provide warmth. Honeyed and sweet with warming peppery spice. Retains character even when chilled
Savor
Medium length with lingering gentle oak wood spices, slight nuttiness, and honey sweetness. Allspice, nutmeg, and smoky malt in the finish
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Sweet Shop: honey; Greengrocer: Orchard (apple, pear, peach), Citrus (orange); Garden Path: heather, mint, grass; Bakery: malt, bread; Natural Foods: Spices (pepper, allspice, nutmeg); Furniture Maker: Wood (oak); Library: smoke (faint)
Limited / Special Releases4
Dalwhinnie 25 Year Old Special Release 2015
2548.8% ABV2015$350-500
Refill American oak hogsheads
4/4 Tasting
View tasting notes
Sight
Deep gold with amber richness; full body from extended maturation
Smell
Pine, vanilla, and honey with aged oak complexity. The quarter-century in cask has developed resinous, woody depth while retaining the signature Dalwhinnie sweetness
Sip
Sweet and viscous with unripe apples, pineapple, cinnamon, and honey. The oak influence is significant but balanced — never bitter. A rare glimpse of aged Highland character
Savor
Long and complex with cinnamon warmth, pine resin, and honeyed malt. The oak tannins provide structure without astringency
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Sweet Shop: honey; Greengrocer: Orchard (apple), Tropical (pineapple); Natural Foods: Spices (cinnamon); Furniture Maker: Wood (pine, oak, vanilla); Garden Path: resinous
Dalwhinnie 30 Year Old Special Release 2020
3051.9% ABV2020$700-800
Refill American oak casks
4/4 Tasting
View tasting notes
Sight
Deep amber-gold; full body with luxurious viscosity from three decades of maturation
Smell
Pipe tobacco, white pepper, and mildly herbal notes opening to vanilla, green berries, and ginger. Complex and evolved — the Highland gentleness has aged into something profound
Sip
Full-bodied, supple, and creamy with orchard fruits and white pepper. The 30 years have concentrated the spirit while the oak provides structure. Elegant and restrained despite the intensity
Savor
Very long with persistent orchard fruit, white pepper warmth, and vanilla oak. A whisper of smoke appears at the very end. Extraordinarily balanced for its age
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Tobacco Shop: pipe tobacco; Natural Foods: Spices (white pepper, ginger); Furniture Maker: Wood (vanilla, oak); Garden Path: herbal; Greengrocer: Orchard (orchard fruit, green berries); Library: smoke (whisper)
Dalwhinnie Distillers Edition
1543% ABV$80-95
Double matured: ex-bourbon then finished in Oloroso sherry-seasoned casks
4/4 Tasting
View tasting notes
Sight
Rich gold with amber highlights from the Oloroso finish; medium body with warm legs
Smell
Heathery and sweetly honeyed with nutty-fruity Oloroso waft, tropical fruit notes of banana and pineapple, fresh apricots, walnuts, and wood spice
Sip
Creamy-smooth and coating, flowing lightly over the tongue. Honey-sweet with warming nutmeg and pepper spice balancing exotic fruity hints of grape, peach, and apricot. The Oloroso adds richness without masking the Highland character
Savor
Quite long, attractively sweet and malty yet clean with plenty of white pepper spiciness. Elegantly drying vanilla-rich oak spice lingers in the aftertaste
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Sweet Shop: honey; Greengrocer: Tropical (banana, pineapple), Orchard (apricot, peach, grape); Pub/Bar: Wine (Oloroso sherry); Natural Foods: Spices (nutmeg, pepper); Furniture Maker: Wood (oak, vanilla, walnut); Garden Path: heather
Dalwhinnie Distillery Exclusive Batch 1
NAS48% ABV$85-110
Distillery exclusive cask selection
4/4 Tasting
View tasting notes
Sight
Rich gold; medium-full body. Distillery-only bottling at higher proof than standard range
Smell
Intensified Dalwhinnie character with amplified honey, heather, and orchard fruit. The higher ABV brings forward waxy, spicy notes not present in the 15yo
Sip
Rich layers of honey and malt with intensified Highland character at 48% ABV. More body and depth than the standard 15yo, with heightened spice and fruit complexity
Savor
Long and warming with persistent honey-malt sweetness and peppery spice. The higher proof extends the finish considerably
View flavor map
Sweet Shop: honey; Bakery: malt; Garden Path: heather; Greengrocer: Orchard (orchard fruit); Natural Foods: Spices (pepper, spice); Furniture Maker: Wood (oak)