Dramfool Mad Hut 10yo Cask #169 (Vinho de Naranja) & Dramfool GlenAllachie 11yo Cask #9900106

Dramfool Mad Hut 10yo Cask #169 (Vinho de Naranja)

Region: Speyside

ABV: 55.3%

Price: £75.00

One of Dramfool’s first trilogy of Mad Hut releases from an unnamed Speyside distillery known for sherry cask maturation. Filled into a single bourbon barrel for its first eight years, then transferred for the final 20 months into a first fill Spanish Vino de Naranja barrique. Outturn of 219 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with some sour candies, a lot of gingery spice, orange rind, a little light caramel and some crushed black peppercorns. There's also a little apricot coming through, but it feels a little bit tight and restrained on the nose. The orange wine cask has definitely imparted something to the spirit, there's a certain dryness, but freshness too coming through, a little soft tannin and some gentle grape must too. Time and air brings more simple sugars, vanilla and some mild cinnamon too. 

Palate

The palate opens with some fresh citrus, lots of lemon peel, a little juice, some orange zest too. There's some darker sugars behind this, toffee and brown sugar, milk chocolate and gentle wood spice. It's much fresher and livelier than the nose led us to believe it would be. It's fairly warm, leaving a lingering peppery/gingery spice in the mouth, but it's not blowing our head off. There's a nice lingering grape juice on the finish, alongside a little green apple too. Raisins also start to emerge as the dram opens up. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose is slightly juicer, less acidic and softer overall. There's a little more sugar coming through, some vanilla and light caramel, a few plums and freshly grated ginger.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate still has the same burst of citrus, with some more dark fruits beginning to emerge. It's still got a juiciness to it, orange segments, raisins and some PX flavours too.

Conclusion

We think this might be the first orange wine cask we've had. We enjoyed it, there's a fair amount of wine influence coming through, it feels drier and more fortified than an orange wine itself, although there's still the soft tannins and wood spice coming through. Slightly warm in places, but a good dram nonetheless.

Score: 7/10

Value

In line with what other small independent bottlers are charging for 10 year old cask strength Tamdhu.

Dramfool GlenAllachie 11yo Cask #9900106

Region: Speyside

ABV: 64.5%

Price: £120.00

Distilled in 2014 and bottled at 11 years old, this Dramfool GlenAllachie was matured in a first fill Oloroso hogshead. Outturn of 308 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with a big hit of meaty sherry, it's quite funky, and fairly Glenallachie-esque in character. There's dark roasted coffee, candied walnuts, grated ginger, blackcurrants and dark cherries, and a layer of dunnagey, slightly mouldy funk on top. Going back, we're also finding Red Kola, and something weirdly reminding us of warm sand. There's a bit of spice here, it's not the softest dram, but given it's 64.5% then it's quite easy to nose.

Palate

The palate opens with lots of dark red fruits, currants, cherries, blackcurrants, and this moves quickly into rich, warming coffee, with a dash of chocolate milk. The palate starts quite vibrant, fresh and fruity, but changes into those richer, darker flavours, it's a palate of two halves. It's got a good texture, it's fairly oil and rich, and there's a cakeiness that we're finding that begins to develop over time. The alcohol is definitely prominent, it's got a real chili/black pepper heat, however it's quite drinkable given the bold flavours that accompany the spice. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose hasn't changed too much, there's something akin to smoke in the background, charred sherry cask, burnt wood, overly roasted coffee, and it still maintains some of those meaty and funky aromas too. 

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate has all of the same dark fruits, raisins, plums, cherries, blackcurrants, and these are a bit more prominent now. The coffee and chocolate notes are still there but definitely have receded into the background. 

Conclusion

We weren't huge fans of the nose - that foosty, funky sherry can put us off of a dram, however the palate really brings it around - lots of rich chocolate, coffee and dark fruit notes that work well together. It's a bit of a beast, both in sherry influence and ABV, but it's a solid whisky.

Score: 7/10

Value

£120 for an 11yo feels a little pricey.

• 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.

If you like what you’ve read then check out our social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) to get notifications of when we post a new review or just to chat about whisky with us.