Dallas Dhu distillery is located in Forres, Morayshire and was the last distillery to be founded in the 19th Century, 1899 to be exact. It was also one of the very early ones to feature a pagoda roof, after Dailuaine, the first.

It was taken over by JP. O'Brien & Co. in 1919 and then by Benmore Distilleries Ltd in 1921.

DCL acquired Dallas Dhu in 1929 and then transferred to SMD in 1930 who promptly mothballed it until 1936.

The stillhouse was rebuilt in 1939 after being destroyed by fire and the distillery continued to operate until 1983 when it was closed.

Since 1988 the site has been run by "Historic Scotland" as a 'living museum' visitor attraction.

More great distillery info here, thanks to Malt Madness

General whisky characteristics: Malt, liquorice, chocolate - very big!

Distillery photo with kind permission by ScotSites

Stills photo by Akinom via Wikimedia Creative Commons License

Independent Bottlers

D. Taylor "Rare Auld", Dallas Dhu,  12.1975 - 2.2005, 29y, 47.1% abv

Cask 2484, bottle 67/140

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

"Dram-atics" live review

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Pale yellow

Nose: Intense aromatic malt, fresh grasses and hay which just expand and intensify further with time.

Palate: Intensely peppery malt, nuts and hay. A hint of dark chocolate and liquorice? Maybe.

With 4 drops of water: A slightly more floral nose and a much smoother palate with malt and a faint nuttiness.

With 4 more drops of water: Hints of wood not sit on the nose whilst the palate is creamier and the finish less intense.

Finish: Very long and intense but slightly less intense and more fruity with water.

Overall Impression: I always find Dallas Dhu to offer surprises. Once again this is intense and powerful and benefits from the addition of water, even though the water does tend to tame both the palate and finish. A very good whisky. No, an excellent whisky!

D. Taylor "Rare Auld", Dallas Dhu,  04.1981 - 04.2005, 24y, 58.3% abv

Cask 387, one of 523 bottles

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Sunny 21ct (yellow) gold

Nose: Very aromatic wood and wood polish. Intensely fresh and coastal, but without too much salt. With time in the glass it develops more fruitiness.

Palate: Smooth and very rich mouth-feel with wood, vanilla and banana, followed by raisins and dark cherries with a dash of coconut right at the end.

With 4 drops of water: A lighter nose now has more fruit and flora and less of the woodiness. The palate is now smooth and warming with malt, candy-floss and fruit.

With 4 more drops of water: The nose is again loighter and more aromatic, but without the intensity after the first pour. The palate is now drier with yet more fruit and a pepperiness reminiscent of red peppercorns.

Finish: Very long and fruity. Some dry pepperiness with water.

Overall Impression: Another delightfully 'big' Dallas Dhu.

G&M, Dallas Dhu,  distilled 21.2.1978, bottled 2.8.2001, 23y, cask 344, bottle 109 of 844, 46% ABV

'Rare Cask' series from Gordon & MacPhail

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Glass: Spiegelau

Nose: In complete comparison to the very pale colour, the nose is extremely strong & powerful, offering malt, some liquorice and quite a dose of aniseed.

Palate: This is a big whisky, but more gentle and softer than the nose suggests. It is smooth with no real trace of the aniseed from the nose - thank goodness. But there is some malt, just a little liquorice and floral elements.

Overall impression: This one is difficult, it is a lovely dram with strong flavours, but I struggle to identify them individually. It's definitely an after-dinner dram as the strong character would overpower any food eaten afterwards or alongside it.

This is another dram which I recently chose to re-visit after the bottle has been open for some time:

Glass: Spiegelau

Nose: Very faint burnt rubber with definite notes of liquorice.

Palate: This is where the whisky seems to have changed over time. What was previously described as gentle is now very strong and powerful. It has mainly liquorice but the floral elements are still faintly present in the background. There's also lots of spirit.

Overall Impression: This packs a big punch for one so pale and insignificant looking. I do like Dallas Dhu.

Yet another revisit to this lovely whisky as the bottle nears the end:

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Very pale, not far removed from only slightly coloured water

Nose: Powerful and strong. For the first time with this whisky I am detecting light smoke, almost ashes. There's malt and after 2-3 minutes a distinct fruitiness emerges; mainly apricot with hints of pear and apple. A litle rubbery leafiness briefly appears but fades as the fruit wins the day!

Palate: Not too much change with quite floral liquorice still in evidenceand after a while hints of light rubber.

Aftertaste: Pears with very light leather.

Overall Impression: I continue to be amazed by Dallas Dhu and like it even more.