Aultmore 15yo 2010/2026

Aultmore 15yo 2010/2026

Chorlton Whisky
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
58.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, white chocolate, foam shrimp, malted grains, white pepper, vitamin C tablets, fresh cut grass. With water, lemon zest, nectarines, white pepper, fresh cut grass. 

Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lemon zest, nectarines, clementines, malted grains, honey, white pepper, photocopy paper, vitamin C tablets. With water, malted grains, fresh cut grass, foam shrimp, clementines. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, photocopy paper, vitamin C tablets, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Quite citrusy and peppery, with a thick heavy body that sits on the tongue. Water brings out some malty sweetness, some additional grassiness to cut the ought h citrus.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Aultmore 37yo 1985/2023 Exceptional Cask

Aultmore 37yo 1985/2023 Exceptional Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside

Amber
42.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pencil lead, wet stones, malted grains, sandalwood, honey, toffee, black tea. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Hoppy beer, malted grains, pencil lead, burlap, white pepper, wet stones, hints of sandalwood. 
Finish: Medium. Brass polish, white pepper, burlap, pencil lead, honey. 

Comments: 

Certainly an exceptional cask, and there’s a lot of feintiness - beery notes, some musty dunnage and burlap, alongside minerality and floral fragrance. Layered and complex.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Aultmore 15yo 2009/2024

Aultmore 15yo 2009/2024

Hogshead Imports
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberry laces, cream, cherry blossom, parchment, salt caramel, hints of toffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, warm, volatile. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Salt caramel, toffee, dates, raisins, parchment, black tea, hints of cherry blossom. 
Finish: Medium. Salt caramel, raisins, malted grains, dates. 

Comments: 

Sherried and sweet, with a nice floral, slightly papery top note. It’s sticky toffee pudding on the tongue, together with more of that floral sweetness. A very nice dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Aultmore 13yo 2010/2024

Aultmore 13yo 2010/2024

A Year Long Celebration, Hidden Spirits
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
51.5%% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, rhubarb and custard sweets, white grapes, honey, malted grains, hints of cinnamon. With water, lemon juice, photocopy paper, rhubarb and custard sweets, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honey, rhubarb and custard sweets, malted grains, barley sugar, white grapes, hints of green tea. With water, peaches, white grapes, gooseberries, apple juice, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Green tea, honey, malted grains, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Cask AU1024. Tangy and sweet, lots of complexity, and there’s an especially thick layer of feintiness in this one. Water opens it up dramatically, more fruit, more spice, more tannins. Lovely whisky. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Aultmore 10yo 2011/2022

Aultmore 10yo 2011/2022

Bodega Series, Goldfinch Whisky Merchants

Single malt - Speyside
Golden, hints of pink
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, raisins, malted grains, vanilla, strawberry jam, hints of watermelon. With water, vanilla, fresh baked bread, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, loosens, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Malted grains, leather, fresh baked bread, maraschino cherries, oatcakes, salt caramel, hints of orange juice. With water, sea salt, fresh baked bread, yoghurt. 
Finish: Medium. Oatcakes, salt caramel, black tea, orange juice. 

Comments: 

Fruity and malty, the character of the distillate is still evident despite the strong sherried influence. Plenty of cereal is still there, and with a touch of water there is even a lactic note. Unusual, and turns citrusy too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Aultmore 25yo Batch 41

Aultmore 25yo Batch 41

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, orange juice, golden syrup, lemon zest, nutmeg, vanilla, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, tingly, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Orange juice, fresh baked bread, cloves, nutmeg, dark chocolate, raisins, sandalwood, hints of sea salt. 
Finish: Long. Orange juice, dark chocolate, raisins, sea salt, molasses. 

Comments: 

Sweet and citrusy, with a bold cereal spine. Lots of dark chocolate and cloves on the mid-palate, before fading to fragrant sandalwood. Very enjoyable indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Aultmore 8yo 2008/2017

Aultmore 8yo 2008/2017

The Octave, Duncan Taylor
Single malt - Speyside
Brass
53.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, barley sugar, brass polish, vanilla, hints of kiwifruit. With water, sandalwood, cinnamon, barley sugar. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Lemon sweets, soursop, green tea, barley sugar, white grapes, hints of vanilla. With water, more lemon sweets, white grapes, dust. 
Finish: Medium. Green tea, black pepper, white grapes, barley sugar. 

Comments: 

Excellent cask strength Aultmore, lots of barley sugar, which to me is the typical note for this distillery (also many other distilleries in Speyside!). With water, it loosens, and more fruit notes appear. I really enjoyed this.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Aultmore 21yo 1997/2018

Aultmore 21yo 1997/2018

Maltbarn
Single malt - Speyside
Bright gold
50.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, peaches, vanilla, honey, roses, hints of caramel. With water, fresh baked bread, figs, salt caramel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Peaches, white grapes, figs, toast, malted grains, hints of chocolate. With water, salt caramel, fresh baked bread, hints of roast ham.
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, coffee, caramel, figs. 

Comments: 

Maltbarn cask 108. This whisky is floral and fragrant, plenty sweet jammy notes, almost tropical in intensity. On the tongue, there is a surprisingly savoury cluster of flavours, even some mild smoke. This is much clearer with a bit of water added. Then it all comes together in a bittersweet finish. Good stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Aultmore 12yo

Aultmore 12yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Very pale gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, malted grains, green tea, raisins, hazelnuts. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, turns watery, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. White grapes, apples vanilla, raisins, green tea, hints of sea salt. 
Finish: Long. Apples, vanilla, white grapes, green tea. 

Comments: 

Finally, an official Aultmore! The indies are interesting but I've never been able to compare against the 'official' distillery character. First off, it's a very odd colour, the palest of golds, as if it spent a couple of years in wood rather than 12. It's sweet savoury, plenty of fruit and tannins, like a good white wine, with a long appley finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 73.44 (Aultmore 30 yo 1982/2011)

SMWS 73.44 (Aultmore 30 yo 1982/2011)

2011, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Red gold
53.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, raisins, oak, hints of raspberries.

Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thick, mouth coating.

Tasting: Sweet. Oak, raisins, raspberries, chocolate, hints of chillies. 

Finish: Long. Chocolate, raspberries, orange peel.

Comments:

I found some old tasting notes. What the heck, might as well put them up!


This one was near to hand when I wanted something sherried and sweet, just a nice pre-Christmas treat. It did its job, but it didn't nearly taste its age. Adequate, but not really satisfying.

Verdict: 

Not bad

SMWS 73.37 (Aultmore 17 yo 1992/2009)

SMWS 73.37 (Aultmore 17 yo 1992/2009)

2010, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, cardamom, cinnamon, cardboard, brown paper, hints of honey, hints of hops.
Mouthfeel: Light body, smooth, watery, loose.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Bananas, cinnamon, plums, cardboard, brown paper, hops, apples, oats.
Finish: Medium. Bananas, apples, plums.

Comments:

Jamie Oliver has a muesli recipe where he adds grated apple and banana slices to home made muesli. It's good - fruity and satisfying. This whisky tastes a little like that, except that there's a lot of apple, banana and plum, and relatively little oats. Egg nog muesli?

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Aultmore 13 yo 1996/2009

Aultmore 13 yo 1996/2009

Provenance, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
White wine
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemons, oranges, grass, brine, pickles, hints of pine, hints of hay.
Mouthfeel: Light body, refreshing, thickens to egg white consistency.
Tasting: Sour salty. Vanilla, lemons, orange, brine, cucumber, hints of honey.
Finish: Short. Cucumber, pine, honey.

Comments:

Has the same sort of refreshing character that a glass of Pimm's and lemonade does! Nice cucumber notes, hints of sweetness, and a lot of citrus fruit, overlaid by pickle juice... Not bad, could be quite an interesting summer tipple.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 73.33 (Aultmore 10 yo 1997/2008)

SMWS 73.33 (Aultmore 10 yo 1997/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
White wine
58.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Butter, lemons, sea salt, olive oil, plums, hints of chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, velvety, thickens in the mouth. With water, turns even more thick and velvety (very surprising!).
Tasting: Salty sour. Lemons, olive oil, menthol, sea salt, chocolate, hints of plum. With water, sweeter, more orange peel and marmalade than lemon.
Finish: Long. Coconut, olive oil, hazelnuts, plums.

Comments:

Takes water very well, which is a little atypical of the SMWS whiskies. Nice and fruity with water, without, it's a little savoury and minty. I could drink this one all day, slightly diluted. Very tasty indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 73.26 (Aultmore 25 yo 1982/2008)

SMWS 73.26 (Aultmore 25 yo 1982/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
White wine
55.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, figs, salt caramel, black pepper, blueberries, hints of seaweed.
Mouthfeel: Light body, expands in the mouth, thickens slightly.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Oak, sherry, oranges, chocolate, raisins, brazil nuts. Water brings out more fruity notes - mango, kiwifruit, among others.
Finish: Long. Oak, leather, peaches, peanuts.

Comments:

Quite fruity and complex. After tasting 2 other whiskies in quick succession before this one, I probably wasn't able to appreciate it properly, particularly after adding water. Slightly salty too - add a little peat or smoke and it would be extremely delicious.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 73.28 (Aultmore 15 yo 1992/2008)

SMWS 73.28 (Aultmore 15 yo 1992/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
59.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, orange peel, varnish, oak, raisins, hints of raspberry jam. Water brings out lots of peach and magic marker.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, sweet.
Tasting:Sweet. Oranges, raspberries, cherries, oak, pears, raisins, hints of peat. Water brings out magic marker (but no peach!).
Finish: Medium, magic marker, raisins, peanuts.

Comments:

Quite tasty, and lots of chemical notes with diluted with water. Reminds me of pear drop sweets, only just that little too strong. One of the sweeter, more luscious Speysides.

Verdict:

I like this.