De 2003 Vintage kent een initiële rijping in Amerikaans wit eikenhouten ex-bourbonvaten, gevolgd door een verrijking in zeldzame Rivesaltes wijnvaten, Matusalem en Amoroso sherryvaten en small batch bourbonvaten.

Proefnotities:

Kleur: Amber.

Geur: Manuga honing,donkere toffee en gedoorgde vanillestokjes.

Smaak: Warme honing, ahornsiroop en donker fruit.

Finish: Honing, ouderwetse Engelse marmelade en zoete specerijen.

Tasting notes Serge Valentin (WhiskyFun.com) 90/100

A little more wood sorcery here, as the casks have first been matured in refill and new American oak, then finished separately in Rivesaltes (Vin Doux Naturel, a.k.a. VDN), Matusalem sherry, Amoroso sherry (so basically cream) and ex-bourbon, before being blended away by Dalmore's… err, blenders. Phew! Dalmore have previously bottled several other 2003s.

Colour: gold.

Nose: even less on sherry, and consequently, more on American oak, including fresh vanilla, guavas and bananas, with whiffs of cut pinewood in the background, as well as balsa, cedar, old-style ointments, then camphor and sauna oils. We're no experts in sauna oils, I should add. In any case, this is much less sherry-driven than the 21, which, in turn, was less sherry-drive, than earlier middle-aged Ds..

Mouth: the palate mirrors the nose, with similar pinewoody and chartreuse-y notes, nougat, thin mints, chestnut honey, then the expected chocolate and marmalade combo. Good nervousness here, you don't need to be buried in an old leather armchair to enjoy this one.

Finish: medium, a tad jammier, with some lovely crystallised herbs and roots, not quite ginger, rather angelica.

Comments: an invigorating and complex Dalmore within which the Rivesaltes and the cream sherry have been keeping a low profile, for more zing. Love it (and the price is almost half of that of the 21).