New Dalwhinnie Scotch whisky inspired by winter

The UK’s highest distillery, Dalwhinnie, has launched a new Scotch whisky created using only casks laid down in winter months.

Dalwhinnie Winter’s Gold is said to have a sweet aroma of fruit, caramel, apricot and orange zest, and a taste of spice, gingerbread, malt loaf molasses and mint.

The cold weather conditions at Dalwhinnie, based in an eponymous Highland village in Cairngorm National Park, are thought to affect the taste profile of the whiskies it produces.

The colder the weather, the less contact the liquid has with copper when passing through the distillery’s traditional worm tubs, leading to a “sulphuric” flavour as a new make spirit and “honeyed” whisky after maturation.

“Distilled in the depths of winter at the highest distillery in the UK, Winter’s Gold honours the influence that the cold has on Dalwhinnie,” said Dalwhinnie distillery manager Bruce Mackenzie.”

“Our master blender, Dr Craig Wilson, only selects casks laid during Scottish winter months to create a golden, rich single malt whisky.”

Dalwhinnie, owned by UK drinks giant Diageo, suggests Winter’s Gold is served frozen for a “syrupy mouthfeel”.

To showcase the new expression, Dalwhinnie presented Winter’s Gold inside a large ice sculpture (pictured). Bottled at 43% abv, Dalwhinnie Winter’s Gold will be available across the UK at an RRP of £38 from next month.