Independent Out-turn| 5 Releases

Setting The Bar High, This Could Have Gone Either Way

Stubbornness in a person is seldom seen as a positive characteristic. Yet there are times when having a good dose of strong-mindedness built in can prove to be one hell of a perk when it comes  to making a success of your business. 

Imagine having a good business idea – starting your own indie bottling company. The best bit being it’ll be a family business, as both of you have tons of experience in the whisky industry: One with a background in retail, the other as a brand ambassador. Having that knowledge also comes in handy as you have an extensive network of friends and acquaintances in the industry. So you reach out, sit up and pay attention as you’re getting a bit of guidance and good advice from an old pal willing to share with you the do’s and don’ts – let’s call him Jim McEwan. Armed with sound advice and a decent business plan, you set the wheels in motion and after doing the maths to make sure the numbers and the funds add up, you put the theory into practice, making the family dream of having your own independent bottling company come true. You’ve set up distribution deals domestic and abroad and with your first outturn in sight, you start booking those stands at whisky fairs and festivals across the continent to let the world know you’re out there, ready to be discovered. 

One festival in, everything seems to be going well, people are giving you the thumbs up when trying your whiskies and the future seems like an oyster lying in your hand, waiting to be opened and savoured. What could possibly go wrong? Nothing, except maybe a global pandemic, which cancels all immediate and longer term plans. As you’re Scottish, you probably have an exhaustive vocabulary of swear words at the ready for occasions just like this, so I can imagine a fair bit of cussing would have taken place at the Macdonald residence (I know, a bit of an unusual name for a Scot, but hey!) some two years ago. Throw in a ton of extra paperwork and red tape to get your bottles shipped to mainland Europe due to Brexit and to top things off a lawsuit over the use of the word ‘Mòr’ by a fellow indie bottling company and ‘Bugger!’ probably doesn’t even begin to cover it.

This is what happened to Kenny and Viktorija Macdonald, the family that runs Dràm Mòr. Initially they started out as brokers, organising occasional tasting events on the side, but gradually the indie bottler aspect started to take over and before they knew it, they were building stock from distilleries across Scotland and renting warehousing space. 

So where to turn to when all of a sudden half the world is confined to a one-block radius from their own homes? 21st century technology to the rescue. It’s safe to assume that over the past two years, each and every one of us spent too much time chatting with friends, family and colleagues in little 2x2 inch squares on a screen. Talking all things whisky was no different. Virtual tastings and festivals have been nothing less than a lifeline, not only for an industry eager to get folk to take notice of their latest releases, but for the whisky community as well. The silver lining being that on more than one occasion, it helped build bridges between that very industry and the community. 

With a mindset of, “If we can’t go to the whisky, then the whisky can come to us”, we’ve spent many an hour talking to a screen with people such as Tomatin’s Scott Adamson, former Paul John, now Milk & Honey’s Shilton Almeida, Elixir’s Julie Hamilton and Dràm Mòr’s Kenny Macdonald. Why? Because we’ll be damned if some virus will stop us from doing what we love: enjoying fine drams while talking to others about those drams.

As a result of the pandemic, Dràm Mòr put their Scottish entrepreneurship in full gear and continued to release whisky. Roughly two to three times a year a new batch came out, each consisting of single cask, cask strength bottlings from five to seven different distilleries. And they must be doing a few things right, as their son has since joined in the family business. 

Having built a reputation that’s in no small amount down to word of mouth, you don’t have the luxury to opt for something that’s perhaps a bit ‘meh’, so you make sure you can feel proud of everything you release. Having tried quite a few of their whiskies so far, I feel Dràm Mòr has earned their reputation of delivering quality bottlings.

Although I do my best to avoid it, I’m aware of how it may appear as if I’m a bit biassed on this one, but we need to realise that, while I won’t deny I do feel a fair bit of sympathy where Dràm Mòr is concerned (like I do for other small distilleries or indie bottlers who’re putting in the extra mile to put good quality whiskies out there – who doesn’t root for the underdog, after all?), it’s a knife that cuts both ways. Should I come across a whisky I don’t like, how could I not be anything but brutally honest about it? Sugar-coating a bad whisky just because I like the people who bottled it or because it was provided to me for free (full disclosure, in this case it is both) would not help them, quite the contrary in fact. Not to mention the fact it reads ‘Fiercely independent whisky reviews, news and views’ in big bold letters on the homepage of this website. So being anything less than honest, independent and sincere, would earn me the contempt and scorn of my esteemed colleagues, and rightfully so. I’m not sure whether or not it’s possible to polish a turd, but I don’t feel inclined to try and find out, should one come my way.

The spring 2022 release consists of five bottles. Glenrothes seems to be a popular one as Dràm Mòr has released single casks from this distillery in just about each of their previous batches as well, while Deanston, Macduff and Ben Nevis also make a return. Blair Athol and Craigellachie complete the lineup and are, I believe, new to their portfolio. For availability please check these stockists.

Review

Ben Nevis, 11yo, finished 1st fill PX Hogshead, 54% ABV
£76 available via stockists

Nose

Luscious, with buttery notes going into full on butterscotch. Very creamy and sweet with sugar and vanilla. Oily, with shy notes of something herbaceous like sage and marjoram. A chewy sensation reminiscent of that classic Ben Nevis meatiness, yet not quite the same.

Palate

Prickly, almost sparkly even. A medium-full mouthfeel. Perhaps less viscous than you’d expect based on the nose, but rich nonetheless. The sweetness remains, but it’s more restrained now. Slightly savoury.  A woodspice which continues into a dry, mouth coating and long finish.

Score: 6/10

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EA

Mhor’s Notes

Nose

Caramelised apples, brown sugar, a toffee crisp and walnut whip – chocolate and nuttiness in other words. There’s a good interplay of sherry influences and characteristics of Ben Nevis. Balanced. Honey, vanilla, orange fizzy pop and a youthfulness – in a good way.

Palate

Pleasant stuff but maybe not the Ben Nevis darling you were hoping to bring home. Satisfying flavours of chocolate, wet wool, green apples and a touch of smoke and fresh ash. Towards the end and into the finish the oak takes more of a grip with cracked black pepper and nutmeg, but never overpowers.

Mhor’s Score: 5/10

Review

Blair Athol, 10yo, finished in a 1st fill bourbon cask, 54.7% ABV
£73 available via stockists

Nose

Waxy and oily (linseed oil) with a hint of creamy cheese and a buttery sensation. A suggestion of cherries rather than an actual note. Slightly vegetal-herbal. Sweetness joins in over time with oranges almost translating into jaffa cake and stewed apple.

Palate

The ABV shows itself here. Dry, yet with a full mouthfeel. Milk chocolate and again the linseed oil. This needs water to open up, but when it does, it brings out a soft wood bitterness and sweetness like from cooked fruits and citrus and, all of sudden, some nuts as well. This goes on into a long, sweet, dry finish.

Score: 7/10

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Dallas Mhor didn’t receive a sample of this one (a MacDuff instead, for another time?) EA

Review

Craigellachie, 8yo, finished in a 1st fill bourbon cask, 56.8% ABV
£59 available via stockists

Nose

Feisty and spirity with notes of citrus and pepper. Spices including clove and vanilla. When it softens out, the citrus notes open up, followed by a bread/dough note and a milky element.

Palate

Black pepper, quite spicy as well. Remarkable how it differs from the nose. Lovely leathery and savoury with herbal elements. Underneath, there’s a subtle licorice and treacle note which translates into a medium to long finish.

Score: 7/10

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EA

Mhor’s Notes

Nose

Classic young ex-bourbon cask maturation with plenty of spirit and punch. The Craigellachie distillate is a lovely thing and it shows here. It has body and that wet copper note I associate with the distillery. Raw barley, chopped almonds and a touch of charred wood. A light honey this time around brings some sweetness, but you could be left thinking that there’s something robust, industrial and ominous about this nosing. Returning to it, there’s fudge, all-spice and liquorice.

Palate

A pleasing density on the mouth, with more of the metallic characteristics thanks to the production process. Toffee, rustiness and honeyed oats. Malty and spicy. Blood orange and a milkiness on the finish with withered lemons.

Mhor’s Score: 6/10

Review

Deanston, 8yo, finished refill Palo Cortado cask, 55.3% ABV
£72 available via stockists

Nose

Rich and sweet with notes of candy floss, honey and peardrops. That sweetness marries nicely with notes of wood polish and wax. Strong and outspoken floral notes - more of floral essence than actual flowers. A drop of water brings out a peculiar yet pleasant note of burnt oranges.

Palate

Equally rich as the nose with a great balance between sweet and sour. There’s sweetness at first, but it soon makes way for an earthy andashy note making for a dry, full mouthfeel. Perfectly palatable at cask strength, and the added water mostly accentuates the ashy note. The finish is long and peppery, with an underlying gentle honey sweetness. 

Score: 7/10

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EA

Mhor’s Notes

An old friend, I’ve grown as Deanston has over the years, so it’s always good to return to where it all began. Just 213 bottles were produced and this retails for around £72 which is a step up from the official 12 in terms of pricing, but even with all of Deanston’s finishes over the years I cannot recall this cask type previously. Maybe, I just missed it? After all, it is hard to keep up in general. 

Nose

Warm fruit loaf and wholemeal toast with the former providing a hospitable welcome. Beneath this exterior resides pear drops, grilled pineapple with dark brown sugar. Vanilla lingers but a creamier variant, raspberry jam on shortbread. I’m enjoying this nose, greatly.

Palate

A full-bodied texture beyond most Deanston’s. Cloying and thick. Oozing sherry fruitiness without over stepping the mark. Red liquorice, pink peppercorns, tangerines, kindling and wet bark.

Mhor’s Score: 7/10

Review

Glenrothes, 9yo, finished in a 1st fill Amontillado cask, 57% ABV
£69

Nose

Immediately the classic Glenrothes buttery signature note. Apple, cereal, oranges. Warming, with a milk chocolate note and honey. A drop of water and the citrus notes jump out.

Palate

On first sip, the sherry influence kicks in (which was a bit hidden on the nose), and the higher ABV does some of the talking as well. Sweet spices, treacle, a hint of coffee bitterness, leading into a long and warming finish. The added water only emphasises that as I’m now finding rich spices and tobacco notes.

Score: 6/10

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EA

Mhor’s Notes

Nose

Bashed copper, raisin juice, toffee, some tobacco and leathery aspects. A touch drying as well, dark brown sugar, ginger biscuits, lemon thyme and roasted coffee beans. Tunnocks Chocolate Tea cakes as well, so not bad.

Palate

A pleasant oily texture, resinous, drying and bitter towards the finish, cardamon, almost Chai-like in places. The finish is lingering with some cask char, almost sooty with worn leather and black tea. Chocolate sponge, dried fruits.

Mhor’s Score: 7/10

The Dregs - EA

With two 6/10 and three 7/10 whiskies, I’m happy to conclude that Dràm Mòr have lived up to my expectations and have delivered some really good whiskies in this spring release. However, I’m curious to see how the always critical Dallas feels about this batch. 

I initially had the Craigellachie down for a 6/10 thanks to the nose, but the taste lifted this up a notch and took me by surprise. In a very good way. The Blair Athol didn’t disappoint, with the balance between spirit and wood where it should be, making for a versatile, interesting but above all very enjoyable whisky.

I always find that indie versions of Glenrothes outclass official releases. One or two of my favourite indie releases have come from Dràm Mòr, so they’ve set the bar high. This one is good too, but I’ve enjoyed their previous releases a bit better. The Ben Nevis, meanwhile, is a rich, pleasant dram, but it’s perhaps a bit too shy to be an absolute cracker. It’s Ben Nevis, it should be bold and big. Finally the Deanston, which turned out to be a cracker. I’ve come to find it’s a whisky that has the ability to really shine at a relatively young age and this one is no exception. Lovely, inviting yet also layered and with a decent amount of complexity to it.

The Dregs - DM

I do enjoy a Ben Nevis albeit at the more affordable end of the spectrum. Those 1990s releases are silly money nowadays and I often pick up a SMWS bottling, which is youthful but delivers some satisfaction. Maybe our expectations are too high when we see the distillery name on the label? I’m thankful that the PX finish wasn’t overdone here and offered just enough substance. Yet I’m also left thinking that the SMWS releases offer better value – if you can grab one when they appear.

One distillate I do look out for is Craigellachie, as it often has more to say at a young age compared to other producers. I would purchase this release and return to it as a daily drinker with ease, as it has character and presence already. A good example of a young whisky that delivers.

Moving on to the Deanston, the finishing cask has brought new life and direction. It has swamped the original host and created a new vision. Somehow it actually works. The nose is lovely, the palate is swamped by the finishing cask and in doing so, it’s expansive in its flavours. However, I quite enjoyed it for what it is and shows Deanston in a new light.

Similarly, the Glenrothes is a style of whisky that works well with all types of wood. It’s well documented with sherry, although I’m partial to the ex-bourbon casks that Cadenhead’s bottle now and again. The amontillado cask just underlines what it can achieve even at a young age. For a while, I was tired of the thuggish Glenrothes indie bottlings that were young and saturated in 1st fill sherry. This release offers much more to entertain and saviour.    

Overall, then, a good selection of releases from this bottler. Things aren’t being rushed or finished with haste. I’m sensing good judgement, knowing when the moment is right and not charging the earth. Another worthwhile recipient for your hard earned cash.

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