We found this blended whisky on our recent trip to Spain and having never heard of it, thought that we would give it a try. DYC is the abbreviated company name of Destilerias y Crianza del whisky, which opened Spain’s first whisky distillery in 1959. It is aged for a minimum of 3 years and up to 5 years in American oak barrels that previously held bourbon.
The DYC distillery is located in the town of Palazuelos de Eresma in the Castilla y Leon region to the north west of Madrid and has the capacity to produce a massive 20 million litres of spirit per year.
The whisky is marketed to be low budget and is popular in Spain as it is much cheaper than Scottish, Irish or American whiskies. It is designed to be mixed with non alcoholic beverages and be easy drinking in the hot weather.
A one litre bottle will cost you between 10-12 euros (about £8-10). This regular DYC release is a blend of malt and grain whiskies that have been matured in crianza red wine casks. So we had to try it!
Our Tasting Notes
I got a strange look from the bar woman when we ordered it straight. She practically insisted that we had some cola with it. She then proceeded to pour me the rest of the bottle, which must have been the equivalent to a quadruple shot (or a quintuple, if that’s a real word). This left me wondering what we had let ourselves in for. How popular was this stuff really? How long had she had that bottle sitting there? Had she won a prize from her boss for finishing the bottle off? This cost me only 7 euros!
The colour is a very pale gold and the nose is very light with almost nothing there. There is a bit of vanilla and caramel with a whiff of alcohol and petrol. While never a good sign, we were sitting outside next to a main road!
On the palate, it is again very light with the vanilla notes prominent and also something herbal (think of fresh cut grass) coming through. The finish is short, very sharp and almost acidic.
What’s The Verdict?
We are both pleasantly surprised that it was so nice! It doesn’t have the complexity of so many other whiskies that we have tried. It is however thirst quenching and refreshing. We could understand exactly why it is popular in a hot climate, maybe with ice or a mixer. We expected there would be more influence from the crianza wine casks, as this is a full bodied red wine that should add more fruitiness. It is there but without overdue influence. This is a simple blended whisky with minimal character. But one that is easy drinking, refreshing and incredibly affordable. If you are ever in Spain, it is worth a try.
