Review #523 - Duncan Taylor Dimensions 1995 Imperial 17 Year Single Cask

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

Imperial is a closed and demolished distillery - it was established in 1897, but it spent much of its existence yo-yoing back and forth between operational and mothballed status. In 2012, under relatively new owners Pernod Ricard, the site was shut down, and demolition took place in 2013 - the area was to be redeveloped for a new distillery. Dalmunach - one of the largest malt distilleries in Scotland - now sits on the site. Luckily, there's still some liquid from the original distillery floating around in the independent bottling world.

This single cask was bottled by Duncan Taylor, specifically for their Dimensions range. It was aged for 17 years; for our personal taste, that late teenage age statement can be a bit of a sweet spot for single malt Scotch, so we have high hopes. They don't disclose any specifics about the cask type used for those 17 years, but the majority of Imperial malt was aged in ex-bourbon casks; based on the flavors we tasted, we think that's a good bet here, too.

Duncan Taylor Dimensions 1995 Imperial 17 Year Single Cask

Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt

Price: USD 155 (2025)

Age Statement: 17 Years

Strength: 53.2% ABV

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; cask 50057, distilled May 1995, bottled July 2012; 259 bottles

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 10% fill level at time of review. Rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Creamy with lots of tropical fruit - mango and guava, especially. There's still a malty side despite the age, and it leans sweet; buttery French pastry arrives with more time.

Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel, and it reflects the nose well: tons of bright tropical fruit. Mango is dominant, but we also get some stone fruit like peach; the oak is adding a soft tannin, as well as some additional oiliness to the texture. Dry vanilla and a mineral like slate linger in the background.

Finish: Peach ring candies, mango juice - very fruity. Quite estery and light, too, with some delicate flavors; fizzy lemon-lime soda and malty grain stay in the aftertaste. It's a medium length finish, still a bit sweet.

Final Note: Lovely whisky - those strong, oily tropical fruits are some of our flavors to find in single malt, and that makes it more challenging to rate this one 'objectively.' The texture is good with the elevated strength, but it's never too spirity or warm; while the oak did add some soft tannins, this didn't have a strong old oak presence like you might find in 20+ year old single malts.

While prices on Imperial whisky are rising just like the other demolished distilleries as the remaining liquid becomes more and more scarce, this distillery hasn't hit the same crazy demand level as peers like Brora and Port Ellen. Because of that, single cask IB bottlings in the mid to late teens like this one can still be found at auction in the $125 to $175 range; that's certainly not cheap, but when you find amazing flavor like this, value is actually okay.

Our Average Rating: 9.0 / 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: 6.70

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Me, My Wife & Whisky
Previous

Review #524 - Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 Year Lot "B"
Next

Review #522 - Larceny Barrel Proof Batch A125