Today, we’re diving into another of our auction wins as we review a 31-year-old Dallas Dhu from Signatory Vintage.
For those unfamiliar, Dallas Dhu was a distillery located near Forres in Moray, Scotland. Established in 1898 by Alexander Edward, a prominent distiller of the time, it was originally designed to produce whisky for blending purposes. The distillery primarily supplied spirit for Wright & Greig, a Glasgow-based blending company known for their popular “Roderick Dhu” blend.
Dallas Dhu ceased production in 1983, but unlike many other closed distilleries that were demolished, it was preserved. In 1988, it was taken over by Historic Scotland (now Historic Environment Scotland) and transformed into a museum. Today, visitors can explore its mash tun, still room, and warehouses, gaining insight into late 19th and early 20th-century whisky-making practices and the lives of distillery workers through self-guided or audio tours. With that background in mind, let’s focus on the whisky itself…
Signatory Vintage Dallas Dhu 31-Year-Old Cask #1385
Region: Speyside
ABV: 58.5%
Price: £330.00 (Auction)
This release was distilled on June 5, 1979, and bottled on June 22, 2010. It was matured in a refill butt and limited to a release of 505 bottles.
Nose
The nose is quite dry and savoury, with notes of hay, dry wood, plasticine, and oats. On revisiting, hints of petrol, orange rind, crystallised ginger, milk chocolate, caramel, lightly roasted coffee, and toffee emerge. There’s a waxy character present that is slightly reminiscent of Clynelish. Easy to nose even at 58.5%, with an interesting mix of notes.
Palate
The palate opens with notes of orange juice, toffee latte, and a slight bitterness from dark chocolate, balanced by sugar syrup. It has a good mouthfeel and a medium finish, with lingering sweet chilli and ginger spice. On revisiting, hints of tangerines and pears come through. It might be a touch spicier than expected for its age and while there’s a complexity to this, we wouldn’t necessarily have said this was a 31-year-old whisky.
Nose (with water)
With water, the plasticine and savoury notes remain, but more fruity aromas come through, including orange, citrus, and grapes. The profile leans very much towards tropical fruits, with hints of caramel and orangeade now. Water has helped to open it up nicely.
Palate (with water)
With water, the palate becomes much more floral, with notes of lavender and rose water. The spice is reduced, but the mouthfeel feels slightly thinner as a result. There’s an increase in the citrus notes, along with chocolate orange and a hint of coffee bitterness. The finish remains medium in length. Overall, water has improved both the nose and palate.
Conclusion
While it doesn’t taste as old as a 31yr old, there’s definitely enough to hold our interest here with the relatively inactive casks working well with the spirit to round off the rough edges and add some interesting notes on both the nose and palate. It’s a really shame so little of this liquid remains for people to try.
Score: 8/10
Value
While not cheap, £330 for a 31-year-old whisky from a closed distillery does feel like a bit of a bargain these days.
- 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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