The Dalmore
Full Highlands food & drink guide — distilleries, restaurants, where to stay, when to go.
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The Highland distillery that appears on more end-of-year gift lists than any other. Dalmore is famous for heavy sherry-cask maturation and extremely serious prices at the top of its range.
Dalmore is the Highland distillery that appears on more gift lists than any other — and for good reason. The sherry-heavy maturation produces immediately accessible, rich, chocolatey whisky that almost anyone can enjoy. The 12 is the gateway; the 15 and 18 show the full weight of the house style. The ultra-premium Constellation and vintage releases are famous for eye-watering prices, but the core range represents fair value.
Visiting The Dalmore
Contact distillery
Alness, Ross-shire
IV17 0UT
- Shop
- Café/Restaurant
- Parking
Core range
12 Year Old
40% ABV · American oak + matusalem oloroso sherry
Dalmore's signature orange-citrus character comes from matusalem oloroso casks. The 12 is the only widely accessible official bottling — the rest of the range trades on luxury pricing.
- Nose:
- Sherry, orange peel, oak, vanilla.
- Palate:
- Layered — sherry, citrus, oak spice, faint chocolate.
- Finish:
- Medium-long, sweet, drying.
15 Year Old
40% ABV · American oak + matusalem, apostoles, and amoroso sherry
Three sherry casks for the finish. Higher-tier Dalmore at a still-reasonable premium price.
- Nose:
- Sherry, orange, oak, dried fruit.
- Palate:
- Rich — multi-sherry layered, orange peel, oak spice, dark fruit.
- Finish:
- Long, sweet, drying.
18 Year Old
43% ABV · American oak + matusalem sherry, longer maturation
Premium-tier Dalmore — sherry character at its most refined. Often discounted aggressively in supermarket Christmas promotions.
- Nose:
- Mature sherry, oak, orange, dried fruit.
- Palate:
- Layered and rich — sherry, oak, citrus, baking spice.
- Finish:
- Very long, drying, sweet oak.
Food pairings
| Whisky | Food | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dark chocolate (70%+) | ||
| Venison or game stew |
Getting there
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Where to eat nearby
- Inverness city centreArea
- Alness villageArea
Where to stay near The Dalmore
Dalmore is in Alness on the Cromarty Firth, 12 miles north of Inverness. Inverness has the full range of accommodation and is the natural base for touring the north Highland distilleries (Dalmore, Glenmorangie, Balblair, Clynelish). Alness and Invergordon have cheaper B&Bs if you want to be closer to the distillery itself.
Where to stay near The Dalmore
Hotels, B&Bs, and self-catering within easy reach of The Dalmore.
Booking links are affiliate links — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Location
Alness, Ross-shire, IV17 0UT
View on map →Frequently asked questions
+Is Dalmore as expensive as it looks?
The core range (12, 15, 18) is fairly priced. The premium Constellation and vintage expressions are collector-grade prices. The 15 is the best-value expression in the range.
+Why the stag?
The stag head on the bottle refers to a Mackenzie clan legend — the family that owned Dalmore for many years. It's become one of Scotland's most recognisable bottle designs.
+Where is The Dalmore distillery?
The Dalmore is in north highland, in the Highlands. Postcode IV17.
+When was The Dalmore distillery founded?
The Dalmore was founded in 1839, making it roughly 187 years old.
Compare with similar distilleries
Most similar in style to GlenDronach and Glenfarclas for sherry richness. More accessible and polished than Mortlach.
Glenfarclas
One of the few remaining family-owned Speyside distilleries, still in the hands of the Grant family after six generations. Famous for sherry-cask whisky at fair prices, especially the 15 and 25.
GlenDronach
A sherry-cask powerhouse, often spoken of alongside Macallan and Glenfarclas but at notably fairer prices. The 15 Revival in particular has a cult following.
Mortlach
Known as ‘the Beast of Dufftown’ for its uniquely complex 2.81-times distillation regime. Big, meaty, sulphury, sherry-influenced — the polar opposite of typical ‘light Speyside’.
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