Photograph by Cordero Studios
Collection Gift Guide: A Cask from the Past
December 1, 2004
THE CLASSIC CASK DALLAS DHU
1975 was a decadent year. The Lamborghini
Countach had just burst onto the scene, platform heels were all the rage, and popular music had begun its bathetic
and aimless descent toward disco. Yet far to the north in the Speyside district
of the Scottish Highlands, time had essentially stood still. There, the Dallas
Dhu distillery was doing exactly the same thing it had been doing since 1899,
popular trends be damned.
Alas, the enterprise shut its doors and ceased whisky production in 1983, and although it reopened as a historical site in 1988, it has not distilled a
drop of Scotch for more than 20 years. Remaining casks of Dallas Dhu are a rarity
indeed.
The Classic Cask was fortunate to have acquired a single cask of Scotch
whisky that was produced at the Dallas Dhu distillery in June 1975. It bottled the 28-year-old single malt in February 2004 and now offers a mere 132 750 ml
bottles to single-malt lovers.
This classic Speyside is rich gold in color and looks beautiful in the glass.
The nose is fresh and floral, with a medium body. This whisky is silky smooth,
with honey and pear flavors, and a slight touch of smoke accompanies a long
finish. Naturally, you will add a splash of water in deference to nearly three
decades of undiluted potency. This is an exceptional single malt that will not only win favor among connoisseurs, but may entice standoffish Scotch skeptics to
venture into the most gratifying region of the spirits world.
The Classic Cask Dallas Dhu, $275, available through your local fine spirits
retailer.
Distributed by Spirit Imports, Inc., 954.748.9009
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