Dornoch Single Malt (Ex-Islay Casks) & Dornoch Distillery Cask #94

Dornoch Single Malt (Ex-Islay Casks) 

Region: Highlands

ABV: 57.5%

Price: £100.00 (500ml)

A first for Dornoch, this release is a vatting of two ex-Islay casks filled on 13th December 2019 with spirit distilled from Organic Floor Malted Maris Otter barley. The fermentation lasted for nine days, using a local brewer’s yeast. The whisky was bottled in 2024 at five years old, with a total of 513 bottles released. 

Nose

The nose opens with a fairly light, tropical aroma, lots of fruit, pineapple, mango, moving into more orchard fruits such as pears and crisp green apples. There's something a little effervescent here too, like a spritzy, fairly acidic white wine, and as we get deeper into the glass we start to notice the faintest hints of an earthy smoke that sits in the background. Going back, we're finding freshly churned butter, sandpaper and vanilla wafers. Overall it's a very sweet nose, but there's a good amount going on that keeps you coming back. 

Palate

The palate opens with lime cordial, melon balls, sherbet, apple sauce, puff candy and a little menthol towards the finish. It's quite a bold dram, with lots of upfront flavour and it develops quickly as it sits on our tongues. The mouthfeel is good, fairly oily, and there's a light smoke, slightly phenolic, that sits alongside cocoa nibs in the background. It's got a bit of spice, not peppery, not chili, but more of an intense fizziness, quite unique. As we allow the finish to linger, we're getting something akin to Lilt, or a tropical fruit soda drink. Going back, we're noticing more of an oily, slightly dirty quality coming out. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose has more of a lemonade type aroma, not overly citrusy but a nice balance of sweet and sour. There's a bit of a spirituous note that appears, alongside sawn wood and a little bit of dirt. It's certainly less fruity than before, and feels a little subdued too. We preferred it without water. 

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate feels more cask forward, we're getting more vanilla and toffee, and less sweet fruits. There's also a biscuitiness that's appeared, and it feels a bit drier overall. Some of the warmth has mellowed but there's still a good backbone of alcohol here. For us, we preferred it without water however some may want more of those cask flavours.

Conclusion

Unexpected, but in a good way. This is one of the sweetest, confectionery-driven Dornoch's we've tried. The Islay casks have imparted the faintest bit of smoke which sits gently in the background, giving a bit more uniqueness and complexity to the already unique Dornoch spirit. It's a bit warm alcohol-wise, and less industrial than other casks we've tried, but we're really enjoying it. 

Score: 8/10

Value

As mentioned in today’s other review, the price may seem steep, but it’s important to remember that Dornoch is an artisanal distillery with significantly higher production costs. 

Dornoch Distillery Cask #94

Region: Highlands

ABV: 56.3%

Price: £100.00 (500ml)

Cask #94 was distilled from floor-malted Plumage Archer barley and filled on 5th June 2018 into a first-fill Journeyman bourbon octave, where it matured for six years before being bottled in November 2024. Only 93 bottles were released. 

Nose

The nose opens with a whole host of aromas, we're getting sandpaper, industrial paint remover, burnt caramel, fresh gaia melon, playdough, lemon verbena, along with a fizzy peach drink and toasted coconut shavings. The alcohol is in good balance, there's a tinge of white pepper spice but it's not too noticeable. After some time and air, we're finding vanilla, brown sugar, a little apple, and Jamaican ginger beer. 

Palate

The palate opens with a real Caribbean rum-like flavour, lots of ginger, brown sugar, vanilla sweetness with a funk behind it, a bit of rotting mango and papaya, dark chocolate nibs and overripe banana.. more like overcooked banana and walnut bread. The mouthfeel is excellent, super viscous and textured, and the finish lingers for a fair while with lots of more vanilla, pineapple juice and ginger beer. Going back, there's sawn wood, sweet oak, lemon cake and toffee. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose is sweeter, less industrial, with more pineapple upside down cake, vanilla essence, ginger sponge, sawdust and lots of herbal, lemon aromas. It feels less complex, but more pulled together, very esthery and sweet with a bit of funk in the background. 

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate has the same up-front rum flavours, lots of mango and pineapple, some honey now, warm ginger beer and more of that soaked sponge cake/gingersnap flavour. The texture remains very good and the finish is roughly the same, albeit a bit drier with more bitter oak and sawdust.  

Conclusion

This is a unique dram, it's complex and a bit all over the place (in a good way). The palate has a real rum-like thing going on, but pulls you back to whisky as it develops. The Dornoch spirit is in full display, and we can see why the experimental distillery keeps being so interesting to whisky aficionados - you can't find anything else like it. For us, this isn't our favourite Dornoch, but we can't deny that it's great quality.

Score: 7.5/10

Value

£100 for a six-year-old whisky might seem steep, but as a small artisanal distillery, Dornoch naturally operates with higher running costs than most larger producers.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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