Winter’s Gold is inspired by the distillery’s rather high altitude and is made of spirit that has been distilled between October and March. Probably the most “interesting” part is the suggest serve though:

The suggested serve of Dalwhinnie Winter’s Gold is frozen. Freezing the liquid transforms the texture of the liquid to create a syrupy mouthfeel.

Ummm… no? Sorry, not gonna happen. Here at dramlicious.com, we drink our whisky neat and definitely not frozen.

Facts

Dalwhinnie Winter’s Gold

Nose

Peaches and oranges galore! A bit of honey and some cinnamon bubble gum, but I just can’t find that Dalwhinnie typical heather note. Hints of toffee, nuts and pencil shavings in the back.

Taste

Fruity with a lot of young elements. Honeyed orange peel, some ginger and a whiff of cinnamon. The pencil shavings are back again. Tastes more and more like a blend of peach and plum spirit.

Finish

Medium. Bitter oak mixed with an artificial sweetness of oranges candies and some peppermint. Lingering hints of heather.

Overall

This is a very simplistic and underwhelming expression, which reminds me more of some kind of fruity liquor drink — but maybe this was the intention?

Score: 75 / 100

Facts

Dalwhinnie 15 Years Old

Nose

Sweet and fresh with grassy and malty undertones. A thick layer of heather honey combined with a distinctive fruitiness of red apples, green pears and peach skin. With some time, hints of vanilla and toffee emerge. And I don’t know why, but I am never find the promised “hint of Highland smoke”.

Taste

More heather honey, combined with hints of vanilla. A few lemons. Some rose pepper towards the end.

Finish

Medium and spicy with lingering heather. Dry grass and bitter orange peel.

Overall

This is obviously not the most complex expression every made, but I think it’s better than the reputation it has. A solid daily dram and a good starting point for “whisky beginners”.

Score: 82 / 100