🥃 Whisky van Zuylen

Quite weak and not really enjoyable

Showcasing some of the lesser-known distilleries in the Diageo portfolio, Flora & Fauna gives you access to whiskies that usually go into blends. Dailuaine 16 is a Speysider with a singular style. Both intriguing and complex, the aroma features earthy sherry notes, plums and oranges, enriched by cocoa, dates and hints of rose water. Cherries, mint and emerging wood spices form the palate, supplemented by strawberries, herbal bitterness and a whisper of peat smoke in the lasting finish. This malt is definitely one of the best F&F expressions left today. RATING: 4.0/5.0 stars ≙ 88 pts → FIRST-CLASS

21 20 21 21 83 just warming whisky in cool weather, nothing bad, but there is little taste and expression in general ...

Spices, oak, pencil shavings, orange, nuts, dried fruits, ok

Very appetizing color. Almost rose gold. A delicate note that is difficult to grasp. Damp wood, damp meadows. some vanilla, canning gum, sherry cask? Gorgeous taste! Now comes the barrel unadulterated, slightly spicy, dry. Looks old and mature. Very noble. A very solid malt that is still readily available today...

Nice Dailuaine, but not the best F&F bottling.

Dark amber color. Pretty oily whisky.

https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2026/02/20/bottle-polishing-cr12-ffdal-smws-30/ N: I think of this as a single malt JW Black; a contradiction, I know. Conjuring all sorts, we observed rhubarb, strawberries, roses, and mace, with a densely applied [sherried] raisin-bound leathery maltiness and date syrup-glazed oak-[stewed] fruit components that make for an appealing melange. T: Tempered without total castration, we’ve a non-contentious arrival. Consolidated and muted in part, an amalgamated on-theme raisiny/malty/caramel release ensues, followed by a peppery/cassia bark heat > sherried oakiness, and a drying citric bite on the turn. F: Caught in a frustrating limbo between what’s possible and business [i.e. adulterated big batch consistency], it’s tricky to decipher anything specific at this late stage, yet enjoyment remains. More towards an ‘older’ [G&M?] whisky style, peppery [sherry] oak and caramel malt tread water, and in that respect, the [43%] bottling strength kinda works [as with the Chivas 12]. C: ‘Well crafted, light, placid everyday drinker’ is how I summed up this release back in 2014. Would I disagree eleven years on? I’m in no rush to replace this bottle. Neither do I think it will disappear from the shelves as some prolific commentators had indicated it might.

a real spice bomb, he has everything I miss with many too fruity Sherrymalt - very independent, with he could be a little more fruity - I should him once with an Aberlour NCF 50/50 Vatten

If this is how Diageo wishes to present Dailuaine as a single malt whisky, than there's no shame in that. It is well-constructed and has plenty of charisma. Lacks a bit of punch.

A dark and brooding sherried bottling, with plenty of savory, dark roast aromas, yet also enough room for the distillate to unspool some lovely fruits and florals. Palate and finish can't quite keep up with the nose, but this is still one of the best F&F bottlings I've tried.

A nice but unspectacular whisky. Good for side drinking. Without corners and edges. 71-80 – Fine, like to drink by time

Blind

Lots of wood, sherry, not too sweet, but mild, round. But unfortunately again the cabbage in the finish. That's not mine.

Nice whisky, quite young and not very complex, but with a decent palette of derivatives, very high quality made, smooth, soft, strong.

Great, because very different from others! Whereby, it should be for the price (~ 75 €) ...

-

My favourite F&F bottle.

drinkable

I like the old style of dailuaine. This has just too much wood tannins and bitterness for a higher score. Would like more fruit and more wax like before.

This whisky is well done. The alcohol is very well integrated; Sharpness and bitterness are at the lower limit but in harmony with each other. One of the best from the series Flora & Fauna - 08.12.2017

have had a sample a few years ago and had it at 86. Now I finally opened my bottle. Very curious!

smell: delicate sherry, toffee, something I don't like, apples taste: castrato, sweet water, hints of apple and peach, again some toffee. finish: bitter, astringent, slightly fruity rating: 2.5

2019 version tested

The notes are a little harsh! Nice official bottling: on notes of flower stems, sap and menthol. Although the finish is dry, it is very long.

Nicely rounded dram. Not too sophisticated although good for the price.

Dailuaine 16yo Flora & Fauna 43%. Aroma is beautiful. Baked red apple. Sherry. Fruited chocolate. Slight perfume. Gorgeous dirty oloroso oak Taste is juicy sherry. Blackberry. Jammy. Stupidly fruity. Faint chocolatey burnt smoked notes. Really great value for money and exactly what you want from sherried whisky. Suffice to say I was impressed with this one. (3.85/92) =========================== Dailuaine 16 yo Flora and Fauna 43%. 30ml at home, July 2021. I was on the cusp of buying a bottle, based on my previous experience, but I decided I'd buy a sample first just to make sure. Dark amber. Aroma is muted, some orange oil, touch of crystalised ginger, a little musty, quite muted. Taste is easy and creamy, lightly woody, touch of peat. Bready. Tastes like old oak and bitter additives. Hmm not a good bottling of this. Sort of bitter oak-forward. A totally different beast to what I had last time. I wanted to try this twice before committing to buying a bottle and I'm glad I did as this was a touch disappointing. Old tired oak. Just chalk and cheese to my previous experience. I won't be buying a bottle unless I can cross-reference its batch number with a sample I've screened for quality! 3.25/78

This dram had me by the nose from the gate and the palate went on to deliver a measured and thoroughly enjoyable experience by time-releasing more and more sherried fruit and seemingly upping the viscosity as it warmed. Then the tail end took it's time to reveal and expertly juggle a lot of complementary bitter tones *without actually being bitter at any point*. I really appreciate that. If you can make me enjoy Aperol, then you've earned a certain measure of respect, right there. And then, at the very end, I ran my tongue over my teeth and BOOM: Bonus-plummy-syrup-oil.

A classic sherry, already from another era, far from the sweet buttered today. To taste in staggered moments.

Classic bottle Absolute bomb! At that price!

Some rough edges. More 12 to 14 years old. But very nice wood influence in the sweets.

"... a smoky finish" is what the label says. For smoke-sensitive connoisseurs, this might be too much.

Very nice and interesting whisky with a slightly higher price

Fresh, ground pepper, hint of sherry and peat. Some ripe banana lurking in the background. Slightly floral, astringent, touch of caramel and toffee, sweet & sour, dry, short finish.

This is not a sweet whisky in any way, so if you’re more partial to drier side of whisky, this is for you! I only had a sample, and would not buy a full bottle I think, but it is a descent Speysider and would expand your horizon on the range of sherried whiskies. The price is very moderate for a 16yo F&F bottling as well.

A nice sherry whisky. A wonderful aroma and a spicy, not too sweet body.

I'm a bit disappointed here but it's still a good whisky.

the nose is really very pleasant. Notes of cocoa, leather, dried fruit, cooked vegetables, polish, cloves. In short, a complex and well-melted nose. The mouth starts on these same notes, but the development collapses quickly on notes of bitterness and a finish a little expeditious.

Well balanced whisky

Dark fruity with leathery and grassy accents, quite strong for 43%, oily, chewable, not too sweet, needs some time in the glass, good and interesting bottling to get to know Dailuaine

aroma: dense, balanced, sherry, dried fruit taste: delicate, almost indistinct, dried fruit, bread, wood, sherry The smell was very nice, the taste was not that pronounced.

Speyside Single Malt OB: Flora & Fauna 16yo / 43% burnt amber/ coloured 83/100

Very sherried, smells better than it tastes. Very nice

This is a very good whisky, it even feels like there are some older casks in the mix. A good matured Speyside whisky with some extra depth and complexity. It needs your attention.

A beautiful, well-rounded sherry-matured whisky from the Flora and Fauna series. Along with the Blair Athol 12 and the Benrinnes 15, certainly the best bottlings in the range. Its age is evident. Lovely wood notes permeate the whisky, and the sweetness is restrained. It is very well-balanced and possesses the necessary depth. The only drawback is the 43% ABV. But Diageo simply can't bring itself to increase it by 3%. Nevertheless, the Dailuaine is an excellent single malt that is a pleasure to drink.

Herbal, some saddle-bag leather and stable, round and sweet, fruity with apple and orange, light smokiness. Like a little brother of Glen Elgins Centenary bottling with the clear leather notes and some horse-manure on the nose. For me this is normally an asset on the nose - and also here - I haven't come across the note on the palate and hope I wont...! This is my favorite of the F&F-range alongside the Mortlach. Purchased one for the keeping a few months back. Really nice stuff.

I could smell the nose all night long, very dimensional and continues to evolve with time. Wish they would have bottled it a little higher strength. The body just doesn't live up to the nose sadly.

It's quite good as sherry, quite typical. Rather rare on these mid-range whiskys, let's say, I preferred his expression in the mouth rather than the nose, where caramel, oak and alcohol stand out a little too much.

Tasted in comparison between Blair Athol 12yo and Benrinnes 15yo both from Flora&Fauna series. While Blair Athol 12yo was an autumnal afternoon whisky with red fruits, chocolate, honey and spices - complex and well composed; Benrinnes 15yo was surprisingly light and refreshing with a tiny dark side - decent dram, but lacking depths... The Dailuaine 16yo is exactly as it should be. It is "meaty", oily, dense and powerful. Nose: An old library with musty books covered in leather and dust..., an old wooden desk with an open cigar box on it... Cherries in liquor, honeydew honey, roasted pecans, roasted coffee beans, demerara sugar, candied cherries and dried papaya... Taste: Oily, sweet and spicy. Espresso with dark chocolate, candied dark cherries, dried beef in maple syrup... And spices: cloves, nutmeg and pepper. Finish: Long enough, warming, rather dry with spices and nuts: roasted pecans, espresso, dark chocolate, tobacco and cardamon. An excellent example of full bodied, heavier-in-style Speyside Single Malt. This whisky is "meaty", oily, complex and multi-layered with undeniable sherry-influence, but never-to-be-missed distillery DNA. Seems bit older than 16yo, but maybe its just selection of good casks.

Got this whisky as a sample from a friend and I am quite surprised by it. Colour: Deep gold. Nose: honey, peach, sweet orange, apple and a bit grassy. (23 points) Body: Some layers and a bit oily. (21 points) Palate: Fruity but not really getting what I had on the nose, more red fruit and floral tones with some sweet spices. (22 points) Finish: The spices fades to the background quick but the fresh floral and fruit tones staying quite long. The finish seems to release some oils. (21 points) Total of 87 points.

In general, a solid sherry cask. And price is rational in this track comparing with its counterparts. One of the thing is it is a relatively dry sherry taste comparing with others. The sweet is not that full bodied but more like a spiced sweetness. Depends on personal insterests.

If you want to buy an old package of Yamazaki 12,it will cost you a lot.This scotch,it almost tastes the same as that,but even more characteristics shows than that expensive Japanese whisky.