Aberlour A’bunadh Alba Batch 005

Aberlour A’bunadh Alba Batch 005

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
62.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, violets, dandelions, honey, green apples, lemon sweets, hints of sandalwood. With water, lemon sweets, green apples, fresh cut grass. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour. Violets, lemon zest, cream, dandelions, white pepper, green apples, hints of apricots. With water, cream, green apples, white pepper. 
Finish: Short. Apricots, lemon zest, cream, green apples. 

Comments: 

A bourbon matured expression of the very sherried A’bunadh. Very floral, tart and herbal. Slightly challenging to get past the initial violets note, but with water it lightens up into cream and green apples. Decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Aberlour 16yo Cask 4738 (TWE Exclusive)

Aberlour 16yo Cask 4738 (TWE Exclusive)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Mahogany
53.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, red wine, strawberries, red grapes, chocolate, hints of toffee apples. With water, strawberries, chocolate, hints of rose water.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, loosens, tingly.  
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, malted grains, red grapes, chocolate, toffee apples, hints of sea salt. With water, red grapes, toffee apples, chocolate, rose water. 
Finish: Long. Orange peel, chocolate, toffee apples, raisins, black tea. 

Comments: 

This is abunad’h on steroids. Quite sweet, but with a bitter tannic edge. Lots of appley notes, and a floral finish that opens up beautifully with water. Quite nice indeed. 

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 54.62 (Aberlour 9yo 2008/2018)

SMWS 54.62 (Aberlour 9yo 2008/2018)

2018, SMWS 
Single malt - Speyside 
Pale gold, hints of bronze
61.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, acacia honey, white grapes, lemon zest, hints of marzipan. With water, marzipan, malted grains, honey, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Lemon zest, malted grains, acacia honey, honeydew melons, kiwifruit, ginseng, hints of pear drops. With water, kiwifruit, malted grains, coffee, starfruit. 
Finish: Long. Wasabi, marzipan, white grapes, acacia honey, kiwifruit. 

Comments: 

Malty and spicy, this Aberlour was titled ‘Wasabi Marzipan’. I certainly get the marzipan and wasabi, but it’s not the most forward note. I’d say the fruit and honey notes predominate, especially once water is added.

Verdict:

I like this.

Aberlour 9yo 2009/2018

Aberlour 9yo 2009/2018

Bottled during AISH trip, Whisky Advisors Ltd
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
57.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, black tea, red grapes, black pepper, walnuts, coffee. With water, fresh baked bread, coffee, raisins, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slippery, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black tea, red grapes, camphor, vanilla, coffee, hints of walnut skins. With water, chocolate, black tea, fresh baked bread, more raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, dark chocolate, red grapes, vanilla, walnuts. 

Comments: 

Cask 150027. This is a very niche bottling, I believe bottled for a specific group on a trip. It's quite heavily sherried, perhaps it would have qualified for a batch of A'bunadh. It's impressive, lots of red grapes, but the highlight is a strong camphor note, and something quite bitter in the finish - dark chocolate certainly, even walnut skins.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Aberlour-Glenlivet 19 yo 1995/2014

Aberlour-Glenlivet 19 yo 1995/2014

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
52.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: White chocolate, white grapes, black tea, cocoa, lemon zest, hints of jasmine. With water, chocolate, peaches, hints of mango. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, slippery, turns slightly watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White grapes, malted grains, lemon zest, toast, black tea, hints of condensed milk, With water, more toast, peaches, chocolate. 
Finish: Medium.White chocolate, raisins, toast, hints of condensed milk. 

Comments: 

Sauternes cask, and it shows. Winey and chocolatey, laden with fruit and raisins. A little bit floral on the nose, but this disappears in the welter of fruity malty flavours on the tongue. Good, opens up a bit with water, turns more chocolatey.

Verdict:

I like this.

Aberlour 16 yo Double Cask Matured

Aberlour 16 yo Double Cask Matured

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Pinkish gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, strawberries, malted grains, cranberries, honey, hints of red grapes.
Mouthfeel: Light body, static, slightly watery around the edges.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Strawberries, plums, vanilla, milk chocolate, honey, red grapes, hints of cornflakes.
Finish: Short. Strawberries, honey, plums, cornflakes, hints of mint.

Comments:

Matured in sherry and bourbon casks, hence 'double' cask matured. This is sweet and fruity, but has a grainy, cereally, slightly bitter overtones. This is nice whisky, and complex too. It would have been very good at a higher strength. 43% is a disservice. Even so, quite good stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 54.28 (Aberlour 13 yo 1996/2009)

SMWS 54.28 (Aberlour 13 yo 1996/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Golden brown
60.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, sherry, rubber, chocolate, rolled oats, ginger, caramel, hints of curry leaf.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, watery, tingly, hot.
Tasting: Bitter salty. Sherry, chocolate, rubber, grilled beef, rolled oats, curry leaf, hints of onions.
Finish: Medium. Onions, chocolate, honey, oranges.

Comments:

Lots of savoury flavours, despite the sherry influence. While this was a refill butt, there was probably quite a bit of sherry left in it. Very eclectic. Water destroys the complexity and variety, reducing it to a single sweet dimension.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 54.26 (Aberlour 11 yo 1996/2008)

SMWS 54.26 (Aberlour 11 yo 1996/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Amber, tinge of rose
60.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, custard, egg yolks, marmalade, treacle, black tea, hints of liquorice.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thick, smooth, oily.
Tasting: Sweet. Custard, sponge cake, chocolate, orange peel, raisins, dried apricots, hints of matches.
Finish: Medium. Custard, cinnamon, hints of malty beer.

Comments:

Wow! Very sweet, pastry-like, lots of dessert-ey things going on. I like the dried fruit, almost like the official bottlings of Aberlour. A little water turns this one medicinal, notes of iodine. I know Jim Murray hates sulphur, but in the right whiskies and in the right proportions it's actually quite tasty. This is one of those whiskies.

Verdict:

I like this a lot!

Aberlour a'bunadh Batch #22

Aberlour a'bunadh Batch #22

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Mahogany
59.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, red wine, cream, orange peel, blueberries.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, smooth, thickens in the mouth.
Tasting: Sweet. Sherry, lemons, crème anglaise, vanilla, white grapes, condensed milk, hints of rose.
Finish: Medium. Raisins, oats, something metallic.

Comments:

Lovely - real sherry monster! And the high strength makes it all the more worthwhile. Great use of sherry casks to create something so complex. Best sherried whisky I've had so far - must try the earlier batches.

Verdict:

I like this a lot!

Aberlour 10 yo

Aberlour 10 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Tea, hint of smoke, strawberries, malt, caramel, bread, honey.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, smooth, refreshing.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Fruity, cherry brandy, salted popcorn, red fruits.
Finish: Short. Sour cherries, plums, melons.

Comments:

Very tasty indeed. Classic Speyside - fruit, cereal, made interesting by the slight hints of smoke and salt. Probably the most worthwhile malt price wise. It's less than 25 pounds (as well as free at WhiskyLive!).

Verdict:

I like this.