Dornoch 2017: Scotch whisky with a French twist
Dornoch Distillery has been producing around 12.000 litres of spirit per annum since they started in 2016/2017. This number will increase significantly when Phil and Simon Thompson open the successor to this site, which has been given a name not so long ago: the Struie Distillery. On the website, you can follow all progress regarding this project. In the meantime, many wonder what is going to happen to the smaller operation. As we read online, Dornoch will “remain operational, undergoing a few upgrades and a modest expansion in the future”. And why not? We were able to taste quite a few Dornoch bottlings, including the whisky bottled from cask 001, that was smartly made available in 500 ml bottles. When we ran into someone who offered samples from cask # 6, we did not hesitate to scoop this one up for a decent tasting note.
Dornoch 2017, 5 years old, bottled at 58,77 % abv
First things first: Also a 500 ml bottle, this Dornoch single malt whisky was distilled on 11 July 2017 and bottled on 31 Augustus 2022, making this a proper 5 years old. Cask # 6 was part of the first 20 casks ever produced at Dornoch Distillery, this one a First Fill Bourbon Octave.
Upon Sipping: Beautiful golden colour in the glass. Opens on strong hints of mint, before it moves on to fruitier notes, most notably oranges and overripe tangerine. There is a strong vanilla element here, due to the pressure cooking of this whisky in an octave cask. The spirit was very active in this smaller than usual container, and built up quite a character already. Taking a sip, there is a burst of fruit on the lips and the front part of the tongue, before it starts getting hotter towards the finish. Very impressive with its oily character. The wood footprint on this Dornoch is strong, making it quite spicy, with lots of pine sap resonating on the finish.
We suspect that this Dornoch youngster will swim quite well, given the fact that there is lots of room for adding water without losing power. The nose reminds me of a strong Calvados, by now departing from orange station and moving into the apple orchard. I love it here, even though the whisky feels more French than Scottish. Hints of fermentation slip through, making some barley bubbles in the glass. I love it when a whisky lets the core ingredient shine. This Dornoch does that to perfection. The taste remains “orange”, with hints of tropical elements now the hot sting of the alcohol is kept at bay. The finish still has a lot of kick, satisfying every whisky drinker equally.
Word to the Wise: This Dornoch is not less interesting than cask 001, and is elevated by good bourbon wood. It performs with confidence at young age, even if I would like to see the wood impact dialled back a little. It is a necessary evil when you use octaves. In this case, it does not hinder this quaint little Dornoch, which is indeed a testament to old school distilling, as was always the intention with the distillery, if I am not mistaken.
Score: 87 points.
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