Aberlour A'bunadh

Rarely do I write reviews, but after watching markjedi's whiskey ramblings, I just felt inspired to contribute.

Aberlour A'bunadh batch 45 (cask strength (60.2% ABV)) is truly a stunning dram, especially considering the price point. It's so good; it's the first time I have brought a case of whiskey. I often feel let down by supposed sherry monsters, but not with this one. It’s better than batch 24, which for me, used to be the reference point.

It’s a NAS, but who cares when it’s this good.

Nose: It’s all sherry, cinnamon, cloves, caramel and other wonderful Christmas things.

Palate: Explosion of sherry laden Christmas cake, caramel and beautiful oak spices of clove, star anise and cinnamon.

Finish: Short on the spices and oak (not complex).

Effect: 3 drams and I feel all happy and warm, like slipping into a hot bath on a cold winter’s night. The next morning, it is as if I was drinking nothing more nefarious than warm milk. Fantastic. In direct comparison, 3 drams of Longrow-Burgundy Finish leaves me feeling quite rough. I appreciated this is purely subjective!

Ageing: Open bottles age well. Neither better nor worse for oxidation in the short term.