There’s a new line of Dalmore whiskies out. They were imported to the U.S. So why is it that we can’t find any here?
I reached out to my U.S. contact at White & Mackay, the brand’s owner, to get some answers, and here’s what she had to say:
Distribution is moving slowly. Given the current economic situation, the importer has been reluctant to place large orders. We’ve had a few small shipments come in and we’re out in no time. Another container just left Scotland last week but it will be the end of the month until we see it here in the states.
As an fyi … our priority markets are New York, Florida and Illinois. You’ll find product at retail in those states first. Since product hasn’t shipped since last June, as you can imagine, the entire country is out-of-stock. Filling the pipe line has been our primary concern.
So, if you want to get a bottle from the new line of Dalmore whisky, reach out to a retailer in one of those key markets, and place your order now. The new line is: 12 y/o, Gran Reserva, 15 y/o, King Alexander, 1974 and the 40 y/o. I have not tried these whiskies yet, but should be getting samples soon. I’ll let you know my thoughts when I do.
Whyte and Mackay were in an optimistic frame of mind when they gave Dalmore that huge facelift. They were showing off to investors and/or the industry– “Look at us! See how we take the initiative.” Now, they are showing off in another way– “Look at us! See what a good job we do of insuring ourselves against financial collapse.”
Red, I think this big recession we’re in caught the entire whisky industry by surprise. One moment there’s this big whisky boom and everyone is building, expanding and hiring. The next moment everyone is cutting costs and consolidating. It’s not just a Whyte & Mackay issue. There’s plenty of pain going around the industry right now, from the smallest companies to the big boys.
I hope Dalmore weathers the financial storm, it is an excellent but highly under-rated whisky. The 12 yo won one of my bang-for-the-buck awards ($19.99) for years. I just found an old bottle with the black label with the stag head in an out of the way store, looking forward to opening it with friends.
Yes, the 12 year old was aways a great price. Aberlour 10 was that way too for many years. Both were great values.