Review 280. Dràm Mòr Summer 2026 release: 5 single cask single malts

And… I’m back. Summer break done and dusted, so it’s back to work. And whisky. Which means that, after 3 weeks of virtually no alcohol whatsoever, I’ve been dabbing the proverbial toe into some aqua vitae again. I’m not going to lecture anyone about the potential health risks of alcohol or I might as well write he word ‘hypocrite’ in big, fat felt-tip pen letters on my forehead. That said, a couple of weeks ‘off the sauce’ did help to reset my palate. I didn’t ‘miss’ drinking alcohol (which is always a good thing, obviously) but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to that ‘flavour’ moment. I sometimes get asked: would you still be drinking whisky if there wasn’t alcohol in it. Well, obviously: yes! Provided that the flavour and texture could be achieved without using ethanol. It’s not about consuming alcohol, it’s about chasing flavour! And while we’ve seen quite a bit of alcohol free spirits on the market in recent years, in the case of ‘mimicking’ whisky I find there’s room for improvement. I’m talking Wembley Stadium sized room here, by the way. In fact, even when it comes to the most ‘basic’ of alcoholic beverages - beer, finding decent alcohol free alternatives is still difficult. During my vacation, I have been trying several alcohol free beers to see if there are tasteful alternatives to enjoying a good, refreshing pint when it’s 30°C outside. To pop that bubble as soon as it started to float: the decent options are still few and far between in my opinion. Particularly the big brands’ takes on what could/should pass as alcohol free beer are often a complete joke. Not in the least as they tend to turn to glucose syrup to add’ flavour’ and texture to these atrocities, turning them into something more reminiscent of really sticky, sickly sweet, frothy lemonade than anything. A few exceptions to the rules luckily came from smaller, indie breweries, who managed to actually provide something that was both flavourful and very similar of “actual” beer, showing once again that smaller, independent producers will bank on quality as the best publicity and therefore go the extra mile to make a product that’s actually tasty, whereas big conglomerates tend to just opt for the biggest common denominator with mediocrity (at best) as a result. And that’s enough ‘Ralfy style Ranting’ for today…

But it is a nice segue to focus on another small scale,  indie company out there. One that is close to my heart as I’ve come to know the people behind it quite well over the years.

So when these 5 samples arrived it must ‘ve been in the same week when I did my last review before the Summer break. Making the pick for my first topic post-break dead easy. Let’s dive in…

Glenlossie 12 year old (2013 – 2026). 1^st fill Palo Cortado finish. 52.5% ABV. 100 bottles available

Nose

Quite grassy, with notes of heather and  heathery honey and demerara sugar. A hint of (bee) wax. With some time in the glass a floral - fruity element joins in and I found that a few drops of water added notes of vanilla, sweet citrus and sugary sweetness.

Palate

A ‘slow’ arrival in the sense that there’s nothing really upfront and immediately noticeable.  Just a somewhat general sweetness at first which goes on to reveal itself with honey, heather and burnt sugar and sweet tobacco notes. There’s a oily/viscous element which transfers into an ever so slightly ‘dirty’, oily note and I have to say: it works a treat! Despite it being ‘only’ 52.5% ABV, there is a bit of a peppery-alcohol bite and adding water does take off the heath, accentuating the floral elements.

Finish

Long and medium dry.

Final thoughts

A deceivingly straightforward dram. It presents itself as an easy sipper (which it is), but there’s layers and depth to this. So there definitely is more to this than meets the eye!

BenRiach 10 year old (2016-2026). Refill bourbon barrel, 57.2% ABV, 256 bottles available.

Nose

Vanilla, a lot of (granulated) sugar and icing sugar notes, some spicy sweetness (like a touch of clove mixed in with aniseed to give it a bit of a twist).

Palate

Immediately the spices and sweetness are nicely intertwined – like a combo of vanilla, sweet fruit (tinned apricot), nutmeg and clove with perhaps a hint of ginger all woven into each other. There is a very gentle bitter note to counter that combo of spice and sweetness, and on the whole everything really clicks.

Finish

Long on sweetness and spice notes.

Final thoughts

The nose is perhaps somewhat ‘linear’ and doesn’t reveal everything, but on the palate that combo of sweet, spice and gentle bitterness works a treat. Despite having (finally) established somewhat of a stable, recognizable official core range, I find I tend to overlook BenRiach. Official releases, anyway. This however, is a flavour bomb. The refill bourbon barrel (still some colour to it so I’m assuming a 2^nd fill?) allows the spirit to shine, while subtly adding its own bits and bobs and filing off any potential rough edges. A bit of a crowd pleaser, this.

Macduff 12 year old (2014-2026). 56.5% ABV, refill bourbon hogshead matured, 300 bottles available.

Nose

Grainy and a bit lactic with hints of grain dust and cream. There’s vanilla and a grassy-floral element too. Give it some time in the glass and it becomes ‘richer’ and somewhat ‘darker’ with hints of stewed fruit and vanilla oil. After adding water the sweet and spice notes really open up.

Palate

Surprisingly different on the arrival. Everything is quite light &  fruity first and foremost. Only in the ‘second wave’ that deep oily element shows up alongside stewed and tropical fruit notes. It comes with a full, viscous texture. Those lighter, slightly funky grassy notes I found on the nose are there as well, almost hidden. With the added water the spice notes really stand out.

Finish

Medium, sticky sweet with a hint of wood charr and spice.

Final thoughts

Rich,  dense and yet also vibrant at the same time. That grassy, almost ‘minty’ note reminded me a bit of what makes William Lawson’s stand out in terms of budget supermarket blends. Of which obviously MacDuff is a key component.  Of course this could be my imagination, fooled by the power of suggestion, but nonetheless: I’m making the link. Even more so than BenRiach, I’m almost always ignoring Macduff’s official brand ‘The Deveron’. But this indie is once again an example of where to turn to if the official releases come up short!

Teaninich 13 year old (2013 – 2026). 51.7% ABV, 1^st fill Madeira cask finish, 290 bottles available.

Nose

 Fruit, fruit, and fruit! Berries, sweet apples, pears and pear drops. Some exotic fruit too and it has a gentle grainy element as well.

Palate

Nice mixture of grainy - cereal notes and again a whole basket of fruit notes. Orchard fruit mostly, but also quite some berries and hints of citrus. There’s also this slightly mineral element of slate and (wet) chalk, which I often find in Teaninich. Dry, medium mouthfeel but it really ties everything together in the lost wonderful of ways.

Finish

Sweet and dry with a hint of pepper and spice.

Final thoughts

Somewhat low in ABV,  I didn’t feel the need to add water. Despite the notes being somewhat ‘simple’, this has a lovely balance and a surprising complexity to it. The nose suggests a nice, straightforward dram, yet the palate shakes up everything! The texture is just lovely and carries this one to a higher level!

Dailuaine 13 year old (2013 – 2026), 53.1% ABV, 1^st fill Portugues red wine cask finish, 282 bottles available

Nose

Dark, red fruits, coffee, milk chocolate and a somewhat grassy note which becomes more obvious and dominant over time.

Palate

Orchard fruit, vanilla, some berries, spice y - herbal – minty and grassy. Which contradicts the dense, oily texture many of us tend to associate with Dailuaine and which is quite prevalent here as well. Rather than fighting for attention the lighter notes and the dense, full on texture work together really well and the end result is excellent: this is quite gorgeous!

Finish

 Herbal, quite long as well.

Final thoughts

The red wine influence, in my opinion, is more obvious on the nose than  it is on the palate. That said, you can try and bend it any way you like, but the fact of the matter is that this is an absolutely excellent dram! I’ve long thought that you really couldn’t mess up Dailuaine even if you tried (much like Caol Ila, in that regard) until last year I got one that was a bit disappointing. This however, more than backs up my (not exactly shattered but still somewhat shaken) belief that Dailuaine is a safe bet in any form or shape it presents itself. Superb stuff!

Conclusions

At the risk of sounding like a broken record: I have to say Dràm Mòr pulled it off again! 5 samples I assessed over the course of a weekend and every single one of them was a joy to nose and taste.  Let’s say that 4 of the 5 are, quite simply, really good whiskies, and one (the Dailuaine) tops that by a margin. A homerun for team MacDonald! And I’m not sucking up to them in any way just to get my hand on some free samples (I have plenty, trust me!). No, they are genuinely one of those small scale companies that know exactly what they’re doing and, probably  because of their size, have all the maneuverability they need to have complete control over what they buy, how they mature it and when to release it. Especially in today’s market (which really is back to being a buyer’s market) they can be picky and fussy about the stuff they purchase . Being small enough to not be overly threatened by the current whisky loch, yet big and connected enough to not being forced to pick whatever is offered to them, they find themselves in a rather ideal situation, with the outturn to prove it. In the almost 7 years they've been around, they've established themselves as a trustworthy source for quality, indie expressions. That's basically their strongest USP and they're sticking to their strengths. As they should.