Review #193 - Del Bac Dorado — Me, My Wife & Whisky

Whiskey Del Bac, distilled by Hamilton Distillers in Tucson, Arizona, is a brand of American single malts. They make a wide range of whiskies using traditional Scottish pot-still methods, and many of these are limited releases; today, however, we're looking at a core range product, their 'Dorado.'

Similar to many Scotch whiskies, this single malt is smoky, but it has a different source of smoke - instead of peat, Del Bac has wood smoked this whisky. They use Mesquite wood specifically while kilning the barley grain, which could lead to a sort of barbecue smoke flavor in the spirit if the process was effective.

Del Bac Dorado

USA - Single Malt

Price Paid: USD 51 (2023)

Current Locally Available Price: USD 51 (2023)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 45% ABV

Details: Mesquite-smoked barley; not chill filtered

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 3 months; bottles at 100%, 80%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Very woody, lots of wood smoke - wood-fired barbecue, slightly sharp and peppery, with some sweeter oak coming in later. There's a bit of orange fruit, but this mostly sticks to wood smoke and spice flavors; there are hints of brown sugar later, and a lot of char mixed with mild sharp spirit.

Palate: Quite unusual - astringent, almost herbal smoke at times. Lots of the barbecue and wood smoke flavors we're expecting, along with ash and some fresh lumberyard notes, but there are subtle sweet flavors of malt and spicy chocolate in the background. Later on, sour orange and a sweet cinnamon kick arrive; the mouthfeel has a medium thickness.

Finish: Dominant wood smoke flavors once again; the whole experience becomes a little softer, and we get some baking spices of brown sugar and pepper. There's a little bit of a sour note to the malt now, and the oak is slightly bitter.

Final Note: This one is interesting. The wood smoke flavor is quite pervasive - it tends to dominate the experience, not allowing many other flavors or complexity to develop. Quite simple overall, but enjoyable enough as a unique style; the bottle price is relatively reasonable, too, so value is alright.

Our Average Rating: 5.8 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 6.29