A GENTLEMAN’S EXPRESSION
Gerrie Lim sits down for a “Centurion Flight” of three single malts with The Dalmore’s ambassador ADAM KNOX
‘‘ I’ve been a fan of whisky since I was old enough to drink,” says Adam Knox, 33, who hails from Northumberland, by the Scottish border. “I wanted to know where it came from and what flavours it had. My grandfather always loved whisky and, as a child, I remember him always sitting with a glass and a pipe, and there’s something about the gentleman and his sophisticated drink – the whole character that comes with it.”
That informed his mission statement as brand ambassador for The Dalmore – a role he has undertaken since 2012. Knox, who has been based in Manila since 2014 – when Emperador acquired the Glasgow-based Whyte & Mackay, home of The Dalmore and the fifth largest Scotch whisky manufacturer in the UK – is in Singapore to host the “Centurion Flight” tasting of the Highland Z single malt at The Cooperage in Hong Kong Street. This 60-seater whisky bar – which carries over 200 whisky labels – with dark, wooden interiors and brown Chesterfield sofas lit by Edison lights provides the perfect setting in which to taste the 25-, 35- and 40-year-old versions of The Dalmore in succession.
We start with The Dalmore 25, which has a finish of American oak and Palomino Fino; the latter is used for making sherry and imparts a beautiful dark mahogany. “Tasting it, you should swirl it in your mouth for at least five seconds,” Knox says. Its nose is soft and elegant, with sweetness coming through from honey, light fruit and liquorice, as well as toffee.
“It’s also sweetened in a tawny port finish and the Palomino Fino is not dry like most Finos are, so it gives a little bit of crispness and a sherry element to the whisky,” Knox adds. He then switches to the 35-year-old, a recent creation in 2016 by master distiller Richard Paterson (aka The Nose), of which only 1,000 bottles are produced. It is an assemblage of American oak, vintage port and Matusalem Oloroso from González Byass in southern Spain, with the oloroso adding age and elegance to that heavy sherry finish as notes of banana and coffee seep in.
We finish with the 40-yearold, of which there are only 750 bottles. Aged in American oak bourbon casks and subsequently in 30-year-old Matusalem Oloroso sherry casks, this whisky testifies to Paterson’s blending skills. It has notes of marmalade and banana laced with Demerara sugar and a hint of smoke even, and a palate of sherried sultana, with the wood tannins subtly rising to offer extra balance. The colour is a highly polished mahogany and the finish, malty. It is best enjoyed held long in the mouth, and one can taste sandalwood in the aftertaste.
The Dalmore appeals to drinkers who like the European influence and partake of the heavier flavours of orange, cinnamon, spice and nutmeg. “Whisky drinkers want those
flavours from our flat-top stills, but more importantly, comes from the wood that we use,” Knox says.
“We’re the only distillery to have flat-top stills,” he explains. “Most stills have a tall swan neck and produce a lighter character of whisky, but our flat-top stills add a reflux during distillation – it makes it harder for the alcohol to evaporate, to be cooled and condensed.” That, and a contract with Gonzalez Byass for the wood, which runs for 150 years. “Nobody else can get that wood,” he says.
The 25, 35 and 40 cost $1,888, $6,888 and $13,888 respectively. The triple eights are lucky numbers in Asia, of course, and The Dalmore, known for some of the most expensive Scotches in the world, can set these single malts at prices that Knox claims the label’s following can swallow.