Review #875 - ImpEx Collection Dailuaine 14 Year Single Cask
In June 2026, we attended a whisky tasting centered around the ImpEx Collection, a series of releases from small independent bottler ImpEx Beverages. This company is the importer for a number of spirits brands in the United States, including well-known single malt brands such as Ardnamurchan, GlenAllachie, Kilchoman, and many more.
This tasting covered the 5th edition of the ImpEx Collection, which is being released in 2026. While there are a couple of world whiskies and a rum included, this outturn mainly focuses on Scotch whiskies - that's what we looked at in our session. All of these releases bear markers of high quality: all non-chill filtered, there's no added color, everything is transparent about age and cask type, and everything is bottled at cask strength. There were six samples in this tasting - this review is one of those six.
We've seen quite a bit of Dailuaine released by independent bottlers in recent years - a 13 year single cask from Brave New Spirits and a 12 year Rivesaltes monster from SMWS are just two examples we've reviewed. This version from ImpEx was aged for 14 years; the cask type is listed as ex-bourbon quarter cask, but we're not sure if it was in the quarter cask the entire time, or just for a finishing period. Either way, the smaller cask size should theoretically equate to a stronger wood impact.
Review #875 - ImpEx Collection Dailuaine 14 Year Single Cask
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price: USD 114 (2026)
Age Statement: 14 Years
Strength: 54% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon quarter cask
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; cask #313842; distilled September 2, 2011; bottled September 15, 2025; 166 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Malty, with hay, vanilla, and pear drops to start - a classic ex-bourbon single malt nose. Lemon drop candies, or lemon-lime soda, add some sweetness and sharpness, and we get effervescent floral notes, too.
Palate: Chewy, malt, quite warming - a cozy dram. This shows off the grassy style of Dailuaine, but we also get some drying oak, straw, and brighter floral notes like lavender.
Finish: Vanilla and pears, a hint of banana; past that sweetness, there's more drying oak and white pepper. The aftertaste brings some sharp white stone fruit, like the flesh of a peach very near the pit.
Final Note: This is a prototypical ex-bourbon Dailuaine - it has those bright orchard fruits, some malty notes, and some sharper wood spice. These combine to create a balanced whisky, and one that has a decent amount of heft due to that elevated strength. It isn't the most complex single malt we've tasted, but it's a great "daily drinker" style of whisky if you like the ex-bourbon profile and enjoy cask strength whiskies.
Value is alright, just a hair below average for us. Some of these ImpEx collection bottles can be a little bit expensive, and this is one of the more reasonable examples, but it still feels slightly expensive for a 14 year whisky from an under-the-radar distillery.
Our Rating: 7.0 / 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: 5.78
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.
Check out our other Dailuaine reviews:
Review #801 - Brave New Spirits Dailuaine 13 Year Single Cask
Review #477 - SMWS 41.160 'What a Combination' - Dailuaine 12 Year
Review #465 - Signatory Vintage Dailuaine 13 Year Single Cask (2007)
Review #414 - SMWS 41.127 'Mind That Big Ginger Fae' Moffat!' - Dailuaine 13 Year
Review #66 - SMWS 41.147 'Brooding Armchair Dram' - Dailuaine 15 Year
