Dalmunach 6 Year Old Single Malt Whisky
The wulver, a humanoid, hirsute creature of Scottish folklore, is an interesting choice for the Dalmunach’s inaugural release. It’s an incredibly rare figure in folklore anywhere in the world: a hairy, non-human beast who, despite it being initially frightening to the eye, is benign, perhaps even benevolent.
Some will confuse it for a werewolf, but aside from the look they couldn’t be more different. A wulver lives a quiet life in a seaside cave, fishing for its meals. Their myth originated in the Shetland Islands, a small chain equidistant from Edinburgh to the south, the Faroe Islands to the northwest, and the Norwegian coast to the northeast.
These furry friends are so kind, in fact, that legend states they will help wayward travelers find their way and help poor families by leaving fish on their doorsteps.
This might be pushing the metaphor a bit far, but I find it an apt representation of the story between Dalmunach - a new distillery built by Chivas Brothers under Pernod-Ricard - and the distillery it effectively replaced: Imperial.
I was introduced to Imperial in the worst possible way: a 31-year-old single cask that I tried in January 2022. I practice a king-of-the-hill-style yearly awards, and not one scotch beat that monster out the entire year. Only its availability kept it from being my whisky of the year. Damn you, Sam Filmus (but not really since ImpEx later became a sponsor - thank you!) Ever since then, it’s been my favorite Scottish distillery and one of my favorites anywhere in the world.
Unfortunately, it no longer exists.
First built in 1897, Imperial produced malts for some of the biggest blends in the industry, including Ballantine’s and Teacher’s. Between its founding and 2005, it was mothballed and restarted multiple times until finally being shuttered. It sat unused and fell into disrepair.
In the early 2010s, with whisky worldwide on the rise and demand for single malts in particular exploding, Chivas and Pernod faced a choice: a costly and extensive refurbishment (and likely remodeling) of Imperial, or to demolish Imperial and build a new distillery. They chose the latter, and Imperial entered the realm of ghost distilleries in 2013.
Some stocks of Imperial are still out there, parsed out in small doses and almost exclusively in single barrels. Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh, founders and now-former owners of The Whisky Exchange, bought up a lot of aging Imperial whenever they had the chance, and much of it was sold through their shop. The shop was sold to Pernod Ricard - Imperial and now Dalmunach’s owner - in 2021. The Singhs still hold plenty of Imperial, but Pernod now has Dalmunach.
Say what you will about Pernod-Ricard (and I have serious issues about their continued sales to Russia at the time of writing), they clearly understood the importance of Imperial when designing Dalmunach. Douglas Cruickshank, a former production manager who started working at Imperial when he was just 15 years old, oversaw the construction of Dalmunach and incorporated several elements of the now-demolished Imperial into the build, including red brick from Aberdeen in the entranceway and wood from the washbacks lining the walls.
Dalmunach started producing the next year (2014) and released its first product in early 2023, a 6-year-old single malt exclusive to the now-Pernod-Ricard-owned Whisky Exchange.
With that, I bring us back to the wulver. The site and story have seen many hands at their helms, and only someone who knew Imperial’s legacy and what it means to ghost hunters like I could guide Dalmunach into that legacy’s embrace. Like the mythical wulver guiding a wayward traveler, Mr. Cruickshank guided what could easily have become a wayward brand to its new destination.
Nothing can replace Imperial. But, strikingly, even at six years old this Dalmunach single malt has elements of Imperial with which I fell in love. A buttery roundness like Walker’s shortbreads, an easy-drinking texture that belies its 60% ABV/120º, and a subtle strength of malt that stands out the way malt from Mortlach (meaty) or Clynelish (waxy) does, if for a different reason and result.
Final part of this story: I bought this bottle in London, at The Whisky Exchange shop in Covent Garden. I wasn’t sure how many bottles I’d come home with from that trip, between the shops and distilleries I wanted to visit, but in the end I came back with only two whiskies: a 26-year-old Imperial and this Dalmunach 6 Year Old. For me, there was no better signifier that while Imperial may be gone, the greatness it embodied has found a new outlet, led by good hands, that will only get better.
Dalmunach 6 Year Old Single Malt Whisky: Specs
Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Origin: Dalmunach Distillery
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Proof: 120 (60% ABV)
Age: 6 Years Old
Location: Scotland
Dalmunach 6 Year Old Single Malt Whisky Price: $63.86
Dalmunach 6 Year Old Single Malt Whisky: Tasting Notes
Eye: Sauvignon blanc. Thin rims break up into large drops and no legs.
Nose: Malt on the edge of what could either be youth or flat-out power, either way clearly grain-forward in a good way. Pale ale light bitterness adds depth. No hint of proof, a bit of oak up the nostrils. Warming, savory pastry, like puff pastry or phyllo on a spinach pie, buttery but not sweet.
Palate: Rich and creamy flavors, lots of cooked down citrus. Proof heat builds slowly alongside some floral compound butter. Complex, with hints of char and stave cutting through the richness. Mouthfeel is prickly as the proof hits the tip of my tongue, grabbing it and the front half of my tongue with a heavy hand. Warming and spicy.
Finish: Filling, not coating, full-bodied from the palate through the finish. Medium-length, sits mostly on the back palate once the front-palate is released from the proof’s grip.
Overall: A great first entry for the brand as both its own thing and as a successor to Imperial. Heat is subtle, a touch of water opening floral butter and really exploding this palate out. I almost never add water to any of my whiskies, but here it made a great pour excellent and even more complex. A bold statement out of the gate.
Final Rating: 7.6
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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