Bristol Brandy was an independent bottler with a few legendary releases at the beginning of the 1990’s. This Aultmore 1976 is one of them.

Aultmore 15 yo 1976 (43%, OB 1992 for Bristol Brandy Company Ltd)

Nose: hmm great sherry nose. Very much on tobacco and cigar boxes. Milk chocolate. Hints of oak polish and leather. A bit of library dust. Dried fruits of course, mostly apricots and figs. Elegant and not too overpowering, which is an advantage but also a disadvantage because it’s not very punchy. Mouth: slightly sourish attack, soon overtaken by an avalanche of spices and wood resin. Very woody and rather tannic. Pine trees. Again not very big nor very complex. The flavours struggle to fight the wood. Finish: spicy (cloves, pepper) with hints of chocolate.

Lovely sherry influence on the nose, but the woody palate more or less spoils the overall experience. I expected more of this.

Score: 83/100

Aultmore 28 yo 1982 (56,1%,
A.D. Rattray 2011, cask #2214, 150 btl.)

Nose: starts on hay and grass. A bit mashy and buttery as well, very natural I would say. Hints of lemongrass. Apple compote. Some milk chocolate. Whiffs of nutmeg. Water makes it slightly fragrant, even slightly soapy. Mouth: a bit sharp (ginger, cloves) with a slight alcoholic punch at first. Growing bitter (lemon skin, grapefruit). The bitterness is enhanced by the woody notes. Liquorice. Seville oranges with a nice but slightly hot afterglow on vanilla. Softer and rounder with a few drops of water. Finish: intense spices, vanilla and a chocolate coating.

This Aultmore has some good elements (fruity, firm spices) but also a few downsides (quite harsh and bitter). I suppose all is due to a (slightly over-)active cask. Not bad at all but I’ll pass because there are currently better releases on offer from this bottler in my opinion. Around € 100.

Score: 82/100