The Dalmore 15 Years
Three years older than the 12 and considerably richer. The Dalmore 15 Years matures for twelve years in American oak and then for three years in three types of sherry casks. The result: vanilla, dried fruit, cinnamon, caramelized orange and dark chocolate. A whisky for after dinner.
Fifteen years, and you can taste it
The Dalmore 15 Years is the oldest standard age-statement bottle in the range. It first matures for twelve years in American oak and then for three years in three different sherry casks: Amoroso, Apostoles and Matusalem. These three types of sherry wood give it its dark, sweet core. While the 12 Years is smooth and approachable, the 15 is fuller, sweeter and more complex.
The alcohol percentage is the same as that of the 12: 40%. The difference is therefore not in the strength but in the time and the wood. Those extra years make the whisky rounder and more velvety smooth, with more vanilla and dried fruit. That is why this is not a bottle for cocktails or ice, but a whisky to drink slowly and neat.
In brief
Vanilla, orange and dark chocolate
Vanilla and fresh fruit
A sweet, inviting nose with vanilla and dried fruit, underpinned by the caramelized orange typical of The Dalmore.
Sweet and spicy
Velvety smooth and rounded. Sweet from the sherry, with dark chocolate, citrus and a warm cinnamon-like spiciness that slowly develops.
Long and full
A long, full finish with chocolate and orange peel. Noticeably fuller than the 12 Years.
Tasting profile of The Dalmore 15 Years, neat at room temperature. Sweet and full-bodied, with dried fruit, cinnamon and citrus.
Drink the 15 Years slowly and neat
A fifteen-year-old whisky deserves time. No ice, at most a drop of water, and ideally after dinner.
Neat, after a few minutes
Pour 30 ml into a tulip-shaped glass and let it rest for five minutes. The vanilla and orange will open up on their own. Warm the glass in your hand for a moment if you like.
Glass: tasting glass →With dark chocolate
Place a piece of dark chocolate of around 70% alongside it. Take a sip, let the chocolate melt and take another sip: the orange and chocolate in the whisky enhance each other.
Glass: tasting glass →Rich Old Fashioned
If you still want to mix it: 50 ml 15 Years, 5 ml sugar syrup and a dash of Angostura, stirred over one large ice cube, with an orange zest. Less sugar than usual, so the whisky continues to speak.
Go to the recipe →Classics for an older malt
For most cocktails, the 12 Years is the logical choice. If you make one with the 15, choose a recipe in which the whisky has the most to say.
Old Fashioned
Whisky, sugar and bitters. With the 15 Years, a rich, chocolatey version.
Rusty Nail
Scotch and Drambuie over ice. Honey and spices alongside orange and sherry.
Hot Toddy
Whisky with hot water, honey and lemon. A luxurious winter drink.
Christmas cocktails
Warm and rich cocktails for the holiday season, some of them made with whisky.The right glass for The Dalmore 15
A tulip-shaped tasting glass keeps the vanilla and orange together. A bulbous cognac glass suits the calm, warm style after dinner, while a heavy tumbler is for an Old Fashioned.
More flavors from The Dalmore
The Dalmore
Where it began. On the brand page, you can read all about The Dalmore: origins, varieties and classic cocktails.
Go to The Dalmore →
The Dalmore 12 Years Sherry Cask Select
The 12 finished in three Andalusian sherry casks, at 43%. Richer, sweeter and deeper than the regular 12.
View The Dalmore 12 Years Sherry Cask Select →
The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve
Finished in tawny port casks and bottled at 46.5%. Creamy caramel, sweet plums and a hint of Java coffee.
View The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve →
The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve
Bourbon, Matusalem oloroso and cabernet sauvignon casks. Full-bodied and rich, with sherry, vanilla and caramel: made to accompany a cigar.
View The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve →
The Dalmore King Alexander III
Bourbon, Matusalem oloroso, marsala, madeira, port and cabernet sauvignon. Complex and fruity: a whisky to discover at your leisure.
View The Dalmore King Alexander III →Everything about whisky: the types, the best-known brands and the cocktails.
Questions about The Dalmore 15 Years
Can't find your question? Read more on the page about The Dalmore or check out our cocktail recipes.
Everything about The Dalmore →