Two identical bottles, completely different flavor...

  • DramTasticVoyage
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    Member DramTasticVoyage
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    So i've recently fallen in love with the Dalwhinnie Distiller's Edition distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2015. I saw it on the shelf for $50 and couldnt pass it up. Took it home and it quickly became my favorite dram of all time. I just went to visit an old friend over the weekend and picked up a bottle for him as a gift. We opened it up to discover this whisky in NO WAY resembled the whisky I had at home. This one had a significant peat presence to it. The first bottle has zero peat. None at all. Just velvety, sweet, malty decadence. I know they mix and match from different barrels and they *try* to keep things consistent, but these were night and day. Has anyone else had an experience like this before? 

    “I’m a simple man. All I want is enough sleep for two normal men, enough whiskey for three, and enough women for four.” 

    ~Joel Rosenburg

  • kroman Member Joined: 16.04.2016Posts: 261Collectionkromans CollectionRatings: 21
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    @DramTasticVoyage 


    hmmm...


    While it is common for people to notice different aromas and tastes, I've never heard of peatsmoke with that specific bottle.  Perhaps you noticed the bottle having more cask influence than previously...?  Sometimes we can mistake an oaky, earthy whisky for one that is peaty.


    Sometimes our tastebuds changeover time.  How long ago was it since you had that first bottle of Dalwhinnie?  I remember the first scotch I really liked was highland Park 12, but I found it disappointing when I bought the bottle again a few years later.  Was it my taste buds changing or a change in how they make their batches...?  I don't know. 


    I remember another time where I had a vastly different experience with a bottle of Port Charlotte Islay Barley...


    I was at a tasting with one of their brand ambassadors at a cigar bar.  I remember loving that dram, as I noticed a HUGE burst of coconut.  I immediately bought a bottle, as I had never had anything like it.  Well, when I got home, I couldn't find that coconut flavor anywhere in the bottle.  In my opinion, the amount of smoke in the cigar bar neutralized the peat in the whisky and let me notice the other aromas and flavors. 


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  • hwchoy Member hwchoy Joined: 28.07.2015Posts: 462CollectionHeng Wah’s CollectionRatings: 3
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    but it's impossible to find smoke in a dalwhinnie!

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  • bedlamborn Member bedlamborn Joined: 18.09.2016Posts: 611Collectionbedlamborns CollectionRatings: 21
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    @DramTasticVoyage 

    Never heard of peat in Dalwhinnie Distiller's Edition, maybe there is some sulphur from the finishing casks used that resemble smoke?

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  • DramTasticVoyage
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    @kroman The time between consumption of the two bottles was one day. My bottle was nearly finished. I've consumed the stuff I originally bought under a number of different conditions. (Before and after varying types of food, and all other conditions that can impact your palate). And it was definitely peat smoke. We had several people over who tried it and confirmed the same.  Upon further research, i have seen a number reviews of Dalwhinnie DE having peat in the palate and finish description. I wish there was a way to send everyone here a sample of the two! I really think everyone would be quite surprised by the vast difference between the two! Not saying the second bottle was bad. It was still very good. Just not what i was hoping for. I may go out and buy a third bottle and see what the results are. You know.... for science :wink: 

    “I’m a simple man. All I want is enough sleep for two normal men, enough whiskey for three, and enough women for four.” 

    ~Joel Rosenburg

  • bedlamborn Member bedlamborn Joined: 18.09.2016Posts: 611Collectionbedlamborns CollectionRatings: 21
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    @DramTasticVoyage 

    Everything for science! I salute you!

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  • horst_s_2 Administrator horst_s_2 Joined: 01.07.2014Posts: 507Ratings: 661
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    @DramTasticVoyage I never heared of a peaty Dalwhinnie. There are two possibilities for me. First you may have been cheated by the dealer or his supplier. Did you pick it up in a weird country? There are some rumors.


    Second you might suffer from a bad cork. Typically those corks give off a more or less strong note of 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole. If you never had such a bad cork and the cork is only lightly bad, then one could mean that the whisky is smoky.



    Kind regards, Horst Luening, Master Taster, Whisky.com
  • DramTasticVoyage
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    @horst_s The bottle was purchased in America at a very reputable store. Same store I bought the first bottle at. The cork looked ok and the taste was very good. Didnt have any strange nuances to it at all. Just peat where there shouldnt be, lol. The price is the only questionable aspect to this. I paid $50 and i'm seeing this same bottle going for much higher everywhere else. The store i bought it from is very user friendly. I may ask them and see what they say about it.

    “I’m a simple man. All I want is enough sleep for two normal men, enough whiskey for three, and enough women for four.” 

    ~Joel Rosenburg

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