WhiskyNotes » Aberlour

Aberlour 1990 (Malts of Scotland)

Ruben — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:00:02 +0000

Although Aberlour is among the top-10 of best selling malts (it’s very popular in France for example), independent releases are much less common.

This Aberlour 1990 by Malts of Scotland was matured in a sherry hogshead.

Aberlour 19yo 1990 (54,5%, Malts of Scotland 2009, cask #18847, 167 btl.)

Nose: sweet and flowery with a nice balance between sherry and fruits. Vibrant notes of apple pie, peaches and kumquats. Whiffs of heather and moss. A bit of toffee, clean wood and melted caramel. A light spiciness as well. Mouth: again a mix between sherry and fruits, with more expressive liquorice now. A slight nuttiness and more oak. Toffee, sultanas. Spices (ginger, a little white pepper). A bit of kirsch in the aftertaste. Finish: quite dry, oaky and really spicy.

If you’re familiar with the Aberlour a’bunadh bottlings, then this shows a fruitier, more playful kind of sherry influence. More balanced but just as powerful. Simply very good. Around € 80.

Score: 87/100

Aberlour 1995 (Duncan Taylor NC2)

Ruben — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:00:11 +0000

NC2 is a series by Duncan Taylor. It stands for “non coloured” and “non chill filtered”. These bottlings are usually a little younger and cheaper than the ones from other DT series.

Aberlour 14yo 1995
(46%, Duncan Taylor NC2 2009)

Nose: fresh, fruity start on peaches and pears. Hints of cereals and butter, a few lactic notes. Very little wood influence. After a while, some flowers appear, mainly violets and roses. Nothing spectacular but nice enough. Mouth: sweet start, quite some vanilla and apple juice. Orange candy. Muesli. Strawberries. Growing spicier in the aftertaste (soft pepper, ginger). Finish: medium length. Liquorice.

Simple but charming and highly drinkable daily dram. Around € 45. Available soon.

Score: 80/100

Aberlour a’bunadh (batch n°19)

Ruben — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:00:39 +0000

Bottling different batches under the same name is something we’re seeing a lot in recent years. These limited run batches are chosen to share the same flavour profile while at the same time allowing (sometimes significant) variations. The Aberlour a’bunadh is one of the famous whiskies following this strategy. A’bunadh was first released in 1997 and is matured in oloroso sherry casks.

Nowadays, batch n°25 is being sold, but I’m reviewing batch n°19 which is highly regarded and generally gets some of the highest scores of the series. There’s no age statement.

Aberlour a’bunadh
(59,9%, OB 2007, batch n°19)

Nose: big sherry, which is surprisingly integrated with the malty flavours. Raisins in rum, dry figs. Spicy chocolate. A bit of furniture polish as well. Mouth: this is what they call a ‘sherry bomb’: strong of course, but still drinkable without dilution. The same oloroso influence: raisins, cherries, a bit of balsamico. Coffee and toffee flavours. Gets more herbal if you add a bit of water. Finish: long. Warm and spicy (ginger), with a bit of cocoa and a distant touch of smoke.

Very good if you like big sherried malts. I do. If I compare this to my other sherry love, the Glenfarclas 105, then this shows less chocolate and more barley. I’m not sure which one I prefer, but I think this one is a bit more complex.

Score: 86/100.